


Burning in Blue

by captainnperfecthair



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, Also Also Featuring: Let's Break Harmful Stereotypes! Yay, Also Featuring: Teenage Angst, Epic Bromance, Eventual Sokka and Zuko Friendship, F/M, Featuring: The Dark Realities of War, Firebender Sokka (Avatar), Gen, I love my son Sokka, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Iroh Knows All, Katara and Aang Are Oblivious, POV Sokka (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar)-centric, Sokka's Sick of Your Elitist BS Northern Water Tribe, also: Jeong Jeong's a douche, and Kya Being the Bestest Mom, denial denial denial, iroh is everyone's uncle, trigger warning: implications of rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 112,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23167645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainnperfecthair/pseuds/captainnperfecthair
Summary: Sokka's eight years old when he learns the dark and sobering truth that changes his life forever: he's a firebender. Unable to accept the truth himself, let alone share the truth with others, he lives in denial and repression for years until the Avatar comes along. As they travel across the globe, Sokka wrestles with his identity and his views on those who practice firebending. Are they all evil? If they are, does that mean he is, too?Told as a series of one-shots at different points throughout the series in chronological order through Sokka's POV.
Relationships: Aang & Sokka (Avatar), Hakoda & Sokka (Avatar), Iroh & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Kya & Sokka (Avatar), Sokka/Yue (Avatar)
Comments: 507
Kudos: 1029





	1. Prologue: Truth Will Out

It’s a harsh winter’s eve, harsh even by Southern Water Tribe standards, and the men are out hunting and won’t be back until tomorrow. Sokka sits bundled up by the fire, carving a leopard wolf out of wood, as Gran Gran quietly sews a new parka--either for him or for Katara, he’s not sure yet. His mother is playing with his sister’s hair while absently humming a gentle tune Sokka knows well. She’s sung it many times before. The little one dozes peacefully, curled up in a ball under heavy fur pelts with her face buried in her mother’s lap.

Sokka has nearly forgotten about the nasty blizzard outside, invested in his crafting and contented by the warm fire and the peaceful air about his home. That is until the winds kick up again and manage to sweep past the entrance and into the igloo, snuffing the fire in one quick blow.

Gran Gran immediately throws down her knitting and gets to her feet. Sokka’s mother deftly shifts Katara aside and begins to rise, as well.

“I got it,” Sokka says, already on his feet before them both. For an 8-year-old son of a chieftain who has been left alone to “guard the tribe” while the men are away, this his chance to prove he’s capable of doing so. He’s all too eager to rise to the occasion. He reaches for the nearby flint stones, small fingers just closing around them when, miraculously, the fire sparks to life seemingly of its own volition. Sokka glances between the unused flint in his palm and the fire, stunned. And then his eyes rise up to meet his family’s, but they don’t seem shocked or confused at all. The gears in Sokka’s brain begin to turn. Why are they not shocked?

The air is tense between them all as Sokka’s mind works through the possibilities. Kya and Kanna sit waiting, faces etched with some complex emotion he doesn’t quite understand, but he knows he doesn’t like. Whatever they’re feeling, it isn’t good. That much he’s able to decipher.

At last he comes to a conclusion that seems to make sense, except it doesn’t make sense. But surely it’s the only possible explanation besides the spirit magic or whatever that Katara is always rambling about. 

Sokka looks between the two, and finally, “ _ Gran Gran _ , did you just--?”

The family matriarch shakes her head.

His eyes grow wide. “ _ Mom!?! _ ” he squeals in disbelief.

She doesn’t answer, but he catches Gran Gran shooting her daughter with a look that he knows well. It’s a look he himself frequently receives when they know he’s done something wrong but they don’t know  _ what  _ but it’s time that he fess up cause they’re bound to find out one way or another. Might as well just be out with it. Being intimately familiar with this look, Sokka’s big blue eyes snap to Kya.

“ _ Mom? _ ”

There are tears welling up in her eyes, and she blinks them away, swallowing hard. “No, sweetie, it wasn’t me.”

“Huh?” Then what was it? A ghost?

She looks...sad? Guilty? Hurt? Sokka doesn’t understand. But that gut instinct telling him that something’s wrong is still there, and as his mother slowly approaches him and kneels down before him, Sokka’s stomach drops. “No, sweetie, I didn’t do it.  _ You  _ did.”

The flint falls out of Sokka’s palm. His skin grows cold. He’s also pretty sure his heart heart stops beating for a moment. The air grows thick and he finds it suddenly a little hard to breathe. Because even as he tells her that she must be wrong, he knows she isn’t. “No, I--I’m not a bender, mom. I’m not a--” a  _ firebender _ , he tries to say, but the word won’t come out. 

Kya reaches out and puts her hands upon his shoulders. It should be comforting. It always was before. But instead of grounding it unexpectedly becomes suffocating. It makes him all the more ready to bolt. “Sokka, sweetie, I thought so, too, but…” She pauses, searching within herself for the right words. Kya rubs her hands up and down his arms, looking softly into his eyes. “There’s something you need to know.”

* * *

Running out into a vicious snow storm is stupid and reckless. Even eight-year-old Sokka knows that, but he doesn’t care. He feels sick to his stomach and...and wrong. Just wrong! Being in a traditional Southern Water Tribe home which felt so natural and right just minutes ago now feels like a taunt. A tease. A lie.

And the fire. The fire at the center of the room was calling to him and making him want to scream. He didn’t want to be anywhere near it. Near any of them.

It was  _ all _ wrong.

Through the howling winds, Sokka can still hear his mother and Gran Gran frantically calling his name. He sees the flaps of several tents open as he sprints past, people drawn to peer outside as they hear his mother calling for him in the dark.

He ignores it all, red hot tears quickly chilled by the cold and carried off by the wind. He’s freezing, and as he travels beyond the well-trodden roads through the village, he is substantially slowed by the deep snow he now finds himself in. He was no longer running, but trudging and tripping. The snow quickly starts to soak his clothes, given he isn’t wearing his parka or proper boots. But somehow this feels...deserved? Desired? 

“Sokka!” he hears his mother call again. Sokka wills himself to hasten his pace as he wades deeper into the snow. The glow of the igloos around the village has faded. He’s beyond it now. How far, he isn’t sure; he doesn’t want to look back. All he wants now is to be alone. And when he feels he’s finally gone far enough, he plops himself down in the cold, fresh snow. Curled up with his arms around his knees and his head down, Sokka prays that no one finds him for a while. The only thing he wants right now is to disappear.

He doesn’t notice the way the snow melts around him to create the perfect hideaway and shelter, or the fact that his clothes miraculously dry despite being soaked through.

He’s not sure how long he’s there before his mother and the others inevitably find him. After all, despite the furious flurries there are still a bunch of Sokka-shaped prints in the snow. The people of the South Pole know how to track, at any rate. He isn’t sure if he fell asleep, passed out, or was just wrapped up in his own mind, but either way, the next thing he knows he’s being lifted out of his Hole of Pity and carried back to the village. He’s too cold and too tired, emotionally and physically, to fight it or complain.

At last the warmth of their hearth touches his skin again as he’s carried back inside. His mother sets him down upon his blankets and wraps him up in them. “I understand you need time to accept this, Sokka, but please don’t ever scare me like that again,” his mother says somewhere from above.

He nods weakly, his eyelids growing heavy, as she gives him a kiss. “‘M sorry,” he murmurs.

“I know, sweetie. Go ahead and get some rest.” The last thing he’s aware of before he falls asleep is the soothing touch of her hand combing through his hair.

* * *

_ He’s practicing with his father and the other men, going through stances and how to grip weapons properly. One of the men gave him a club to practice with, which he immediately began swinging around excitedly. He’s swatting at snow sculptures he’s made as mock enemies when suddenly he swings and a curling wave of fire bursts forth from the tip.  _

_ The men nearby give a shout, leaping back away from the fire.  _

_ Hakoda, who is on the other side of the training grounds, turns to look at what all the commotion is about and makes his way over. _

_ “Hakoda, I think your son just…” one man warily starts. _

_ “Firebended,” another finishes. _

_ Hakoda turns to stare at Sokka. Now everyone on the training ground is gaping at him. _

_ The club drops to his side, forgotten. “I--I didn’t mean to. Dad, I can explain.” _

_ The chieftain’s eyes grow dark. “Explain? No need.” Sokka gulps, waiting for the other shoe to drop. None of the other men dare move. Everyone silently stands and waits for Hakoda’s response. Sokka sees several different emotions work across his face until he seems to settle on one. Then he squeezes his eyes shut and abruptly turns away from them all before he lets out an angry growl and shouts, “Those bastards!” _

_ Sokka remains still, holding his breath. _

_ Hakoda turns, heading straight for Sokka. Kneeling down in front of him, his father frowns. “I always knew it was possible that you might’ve been...not mine, but you look every inch the proper Water Tribesman. And I thought I saw so much of myself in you. For years you never showed any signs of being a bender, so I thought your parentage was no longer in doubt.” He averts his eyes to the ground. _

_ “And now?” Sokka asks, though he dreads the answer. _

_ Hakoda lets loose a deep sigh, bowing his head. “I don’t think I can ever look at you the same, kiddo. Now, I suppose I’ll have to hand the chiefdom down to your sister. We can’t have a...we can’t have  _ you  _ leading the Southern Water Tribe.” _

_ “Perhaps it’s best we end his training here, chief,” one of the men behind him says with a tinge of sadness. Sokka likes to think the men are rather fond of him. Or they  _ were,  _ anyway. _

_ “Yes, I think we should.” Sokka can see his father is struggling with this, and he takes a moment to steel himself before he continues. “I’m sorry. You’ll never be a true Southern Water Tribe warrior, Sokka. Not when you’ve got that fire in you.” _

_ Sokka feels the tears brimming and feels a well of anger pool inside him because he is most definitely not supposed to cry. It’s not manly. It’s not strong. He doesn’t want to make his father any more disappointed and ashamed than he already is. “Dad, no. Please!” He swallows hard, willing his body to stop shaking. “I’m still your son! Don’t--” _

_ “But you’re not my son, Sokka. Not really. You don’t belong with us here anymore.” He shakes his head sadly. “This is where your training ends, kiddo. Go back home to your mother.” _

_ “Dad, please! I don’t want to be a firebender! I want to be a warrior, like you!” _

_ “I’m sorry, Sokka.” With that, his father turns his back on him, the rest of the men following suit, and walks away. To Sokka’s devastation, they disappear into the snow, leaving him utterly alone. _

* * *

Sokka jolts awake, tears in his eyes and bones shivering.  _ It was just a dream, then,  _ he tells himself as he looks about the hut. Everyone else is still asleep. The fire continues to crackle. It could do with a little more kindling, but for now Sokka’s staying far away from anything fire related. 

Knowing there’s no way he’s getting back to sleep after that, Sokka tosses aside his blankets and throws on his boots and parka. The storm outside seems to have passed, and if that’s the case, then he could really do with some fresh air and solitude.

“Sokka, sweetie, where are you going?” It’s his mother. 

Sokka spins around. “I was gonna step outside. Just for a minute. I wasn’t gonna wander off, mom.”

“C’mere,” is all she says in response. He frowns, glancing over his shoulder at the entrance longingly, but he dutifully obeys. He peels off his parka, kicks off his shoes, and joins her. Kya sits up, still groggy from sleep. She grips the warm furs around her and spreads her arms out in invitation, looking like some giant, furry-winged creature. When Sokka sits down in her lap, she wraps her arms around him immediately, enveloping him in the blankets. “You had a bad dream, didn’t you?”

_ She’s too good. Can’t hide from her. _ He nods.

“Oh, Sokka. Do you wanna talk about it?”

At first he shakes his head, but then he thinks about it for a moment and decides that there is  _ one  _ thing that he  _ would  _ like to talk about regarding his dream. Though he thinks he already knows and he’s afraid to know the truth, Sokka summons up the courage to ask her, anyway. Better know and be certain than anguish over not knowing. “Does dad know?”

“Does dad know--? Ah.” She pulls him closer, resting her chin on his shoulder. “No,” she quietly replies. “He knows that I was...attacked, but he doesn’t know that you came as a result of that attack. I wasn’t sure either until yesterday. I always wondered, but thought that you looked far too much like myself and your father to have actually been the child of anyone else.”

“Are you gonna tell him?”

Sokka swears that even he can hear her debating the choice in her head. At last she pulls away and turns him about slightly so he faces her. “What do you want me to do?”

He’s flabbergasted. She wants to  _ include _ him in this decision? “I--I don’t know. I--” He takes a long moment to think about it, his mother waiting patiently. “I don’t think we should.”

“I agree.”

“Really?”

“Really. I think it might make him do something...rash.” Sokka, unfamiliar with this vocabulary, scrunches his brow in confusion. Without a word Kya alters her phrasing. “Dangerous. Stupid. To get revenge against the Fire Nation for what they did to us.”

“Oh.” 

“Can I ask why you don’t want to tell him? Does it have to do with your dream?”

Sokka averts his eyes, embarrassed but determined to be honest with her. “I’m afraid he won’t love me anymore. Or that he won’t let me be a warrior like the rest of the men.”

His mother’s face is contorted with pain. “Sokka, no. Never. He would never. He loves you no matter what. Don’t vote to keep this from him if that’s your only reason why.”

“Well...I didn’t think about it before, but I think you’re right about him doing something dangerous. And it would make him leave us. I don’t want that. I don’t want him to get hurt or to leave because of me.” 

“Sokka, no matter what happens,  _ none of it _ will be your fault. Do you hear me?”

He’s scarcely ever seen her look so serious, and that’s how he knows she means it with every bit of her being. He nods.

“Good. So then it’s settled. We’ll keep this between us and Gran Gran for now. If you change your mind and decide you want to tell dad, let me know. We’ll do it together. Okay?” 

It sounds like a perfect plan to him. Plus, it gives Sokka some much needed time to come to terms with this new knowledge of himself. In addition to the concerns he voiced to his mom, he also just doesn’t feel ready to share this with anyone, even his own father. He needs time to accept this himself before he asks anyone else to. But would he ever be okay with it?

He waits one year, then another. When he turns ten, he thinks perhaps this is the year.

But they never get to tell anyone together. Another raid, another loss. And this time, it’s the loss of their mother. Shortly thereafter, his father leaves just as his mother predicted he would to fight the escalating war and to seek revenge for the loss of the woman he loved. Sokka doesn’t dare to mention his firebending after that final raid. Not that he had the confidence to, anyway. During those two years of silence, he realizes that the only thing that had been ensuring he’d eventually tell his dad was his mom. With her gone, his confidence is shattered.

And when he’s told to protect the village; that he’s the leader now, he knows he can never, ever let anyone else know. Not even Katara. He buries that hidden side of himself deep within and immerses himself in hand-to-hand, weaponry, building defenses, and strategy. 

Aside from Gran Gran, no one knows the acting-chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe is a firebender.


	2. Bato of the Water Tribe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang runs into Bato, and Sokka grapples with his identity as a Southern Water Tribe warrior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the incredible responses so far, everyone! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this next installment just as much!

After spotting the abandoned ship from their father’s fleet, Sokka insists they camp out until someone from the boat inevitably returns. They’re there for hours, past sunset and several hours into the night. The wind blows hard, prompting Sokka to pull the blanket he’s wrapped around himself a little tighter. He scoots a little closer to the fire and stares into it, willing whoever it is that abandoned the boat earlier to return soon. Aang has sunken into one of Appa’s paws and is lazily running his hands through Momo’s fur and stroking his ears. Katara has burrowed into her sleep sack and dozed off.

Sokka sighs, growing bored. He grabs a nearby stick and begins absentmindedly drawing lines into the sand. He thinks back to the day his father left and how desperate he had been to show his father that he was a capable warrior.

“ _ Being a man is about knowing where you’re needed the most.” _ He remembers his father saying.  _ “And for you right now, that’s here protecting your sister.”  _ At least he’s done that. He protected her and the village as best he could. Deep down, Sokka knows that he’s proven himself and that his father would be proud. To Hakoda, there was probably nothing to prove in the first place. But Sokka has always felt the need to show he’s worthy, even more so since he learned of his...abilities. He’s still so doubtful that he has any right to call himself a true Tribesman, and he’s not sure that any amount of training can quell that doubt. It makes him try all the more to prove himself. Perhaps the more he does, the less he’ll feel so inadequate. Less like a pretender.

There’s a rustle in the bushes where green meets sand, and Sokka jumps to his feet and pulls out his weapon. He takes his stance, ready to fight, but instead he’s met with a sight he doesn’t quite believe.

“Bato?!” As the figure before him steps out of the shadows and into the light of the fire, Sokka’s look of disbelief morphs into one of surprised delight. “No way!”

“Sokka?” Bato is, understandably, equally confused. 

“Bato!” Katara has now woken up and seen the unexpected guest. She’s quick to throw aside her blankets, run up to him, and envelop him in a hug. Sokka follows after her and burrows his face in the man’s chest. He smells like home.

* * *

Talking with Bato in his Water Tribe-ified lodgings while eating stewed sea prunes is a comfort Sokka didn’t realize he’s missed so much. It’s good to be around someone and something familiar after all the strange places they’ve been and things they’ve seen since leaving home.

And then Bato tells them that there’s a chance to see their father again for the first time in two years. His heart races first with excitement...and then with anxiety. Will he actually be proud of what Sokka has done for their tribe? Will he be proud of the man he’s becoming? Or worst of all, will he realize Sokka’s not his son at all? Will he now realize that no matter how hard Sokka trains, he’ll never be a true warrior?

“That would be amazing!” he hears Katara say to Bato.

“What do you say, Sokka? Wanna stick around?”

Sokka wills himself back to the present, putting his fears aside. He pauses, unsure of how to reply. He loves his father. He wants to see him more than anything, and that outweighs all his fears. But there’s something else that’s stopping him and he’s not sure what until he sees Aang quietly slink out of the tent.

With a sigh, Sokka shakes his head. “I wish we could, but we’ve got to get Aang to the Northern Water Tribe.”

Katara, so taken in by the chance to see their father again, frowns as she realizes he’s right. She looks guilty for having forgotten the airbender. “Sokka’s right. We have to make sure he gets there. He has to learn waterbending. We’re on kind of a tight schedule.”

Bato nods in understanding and smiles. “Your father will understand. He’ll be proud to know you’re helping the Avatar. He’s already  _ so  _ proud of you both. I know I, for one, could not be more honored to call you my niece and nephew.”

Sokka’s chest tightens, his heart swelling with love for Bato, longing to see his father, and a niggling sense of guilt because he feels like Bato wouldn’t say any of this about him if he or Hakoda knew the truth about him. A voice in the back of his head whispers,  _ “tell him. Stop lying to him. Stop lying to all of them!” _

Instead, he smiles back and says, “Thanks, Bato.” He picks up his bowl of sea prunes and has a couple more mouthfuls as Katara launches into some highlights of their travels with Aang at Bato’s request.

* * *

Looking at Bato’s boat again the next morning, he notices scratches and a couple deep gashes. As Bato tells them about the ship’s history, it dawns on him that this must’ve been the very same ship he learned to ice dodge in. Something Sokka had always yearned to do but never got a chance to. It was yet another reason why Sokka felt like he didn’t belong amongst his own people. Never finished his training, never went through his rite of passage…secretly never born to Hakoda in the first place...

“How ‘bout you, Sokka? I bet you’ve some good stories from your first time ice dodging,” Bato says amusedly. Sokka frowns.

Katara cuts in, saving him from having to explain this embarrassing detail for himself. “He never got to go. Dad left before he was old enough.”

Bato, at least, has the grace to look apologetic. “I’m sorry. I forgot you were too young.”

“What’s ice dodging?” Aang asks.

Sokka half listens to Bato explain the tradition as he runs his hand across one of the grooves that Bato must’ve left in the ship back when he went ice dodging for the first time. He wonders whether he’ll ever get to go or if it’s even worth it at this point. He’s already a year late.

“...Your dad takes you--” Balto pauses, causing Sokka to turn around and see his uncle looking at him. “You know what? You’re about to find out!”

Sokka gapes. “Wait, really?”

Bato grins, clapping a hand down on his shoulder. “I’m gonna take you. Right here, right now. I know it’s not exactly the same as going with your father down at the South Pole, but--”

Shaking his head, Sokka replies, “No, it’s close enough.” He wraps his arms around his uncle and squeezes.  _ Thanks, Bato.  _

* * *

Ice is just as capable of sinking a ship as rocks, Sokka knows that. But the rocks staring them down up ahead sure look a lot more intimidating as Bato tells him that these are what he’s dodging instead. He allows himself a moment to feel that fear, to help him understand the risk here, and then buries it. He knows he’s ready for this. He’s been waiting. Compared to some of the other things he’s faced since traveling with Aang, this should be easy.

It’s tough, but it goes smoothly up until they reach a brief pause in the rocky waters only to find what looks like a wall of rocks up ahead. Sokka looks at his makeshift crew: Katara is breathing hard, a few strands of hair having fallen out of her usual braid and flying loose in the wind. Aang is drenched in water and looks understandably a little exhausted, but no worse for wear. They can do this.

“We can’t make that,” Katara says.

“Yes we can.”

Bato speaks up from his spot at the bow. “Sokka, you’ve already more than proven yourself. Let me handle this and get us to shore. Your trial’s over.”

Sokka shakes his head. He knows the trial’s over, but at this point it’s less about needing to prove himself and more about a need to know he can solve any problem he comes across. That he can lead under pressure and under great odds. He wants to know if he’s got the blood of a chief in his veins, true lineage be damned. 

He gives his orders to Aang and Katara, and sure enough they make it over the rocks and onto smooth waters.

He looks over to Bato, who has gotten to his feet. He looks impressed. The corner of Sokka’s mouth turns up in a smirk.

* * *

On the shore, Bato gives them their marks, and Sokka beams with pride as he bestows upon him the same mark his father received. The mark of wisdom.

Finally, he feels like he’s earned his place in their tribe. At least in part. He’s not sure if he’ll ever feel like he completely belongs.

He only gets to enjoy it for a moment before Aang reveals to them that he’s been hiding the map that leads to their father. Sokka’s furious. Snatching the map out of the airbender’s traitorous hands, Sokka begins marching off back up the road.

“I’m going to find dad,” he declares. 

“Sokka, I think you should w--” He doesn’t want to hear it. Sokka only pauses long enough to look back at his sister and see if she’s coming along.

“Are you with me?” She hesitates, looking back at Aang and searching his face for some reason to convince her to stay. Whatever it is she sees there doesn’t seem to satisfy her.

She answers: “I’m with you, Sokka.”

“Let’s go, Bato,” Sokka says, glancing back over his shoulder one last time at Aang, anger and hurt in his eyes. And Sokka thought he was a liar and a fake? Turns out Aang is worse.

The elder Water Tribesman looks reluctant, but he seems to understand that his niece and nephew have made up their minds. He has to follow along, anyway. He needs to reunite with the fleet now that he’s healed. Sokka figures he’ll take the opportunity to try to reason with them again once on the road.

* * *

They’re about an hour into the woods and away from town when they hear a wolf cry in the distance. Katara says it sounds sad. 

“It’s probably wounded,” Sokka says dismissively. Secretly, he thinks Katara might be right, but then again, maybe it’s them projecting their own feelings onto the animal. Now that he’s had time to calm down and think, Sokka’s beginning to think they acted a bit rash.

“No. It’s been separated from its pack,” Bato interjects. He stops to look at them. “I understand that pain. It’s how I felt when the fleet had to leave me behind.”

Unbidden, the memory of standing on the docks and watching the fleet sail off two years ago comes flitting to the surface of Sokka’s mind. 

“They’re my family. Being apart from them is more painful than my wounds.”

Sokka averts his eyes, looking back down the path they’ve come from. Closing his eyes, he sighs. He understands Bato. He understands Aang. Aang wasn’t trying to betray them or hurt them. He didn’t act out of any kind of malice, but out of fear. He was scared. Scared of being left alone and abandoned by the family he found in him and Katara.

They’ve made the wrong choice. In their anger, they’ve forgotten the family they made with Aang.

“Sokka?”

His father’s words from that day two years ago echo in his head. “ _ Being a man is about knowing where you’re needed the most.” _

“We need to go back. I wanna see dad, but helping Aang is where we’re needed the most.”

Katara smiles. He knows she’s been less convinced that they should leave Aang behind and has mostly been following him out of loyalty to family and the desire to see their dad. She looks relieved. “You’re right.”

“Your father will understand, and I know he’s proud of you. As am I.” Bato wraps an arm around each of them and gives them a squeeze. “I know the way from here. Take this if you ever want to find us.” He hands Sokka the map.

* * *

After an unexpected brush with Zuko as well as the fresh experience of a most unpleasant feeling of complete numbness, they’re back on Appa and en route to the North Pole. Sokka will never take free movement for granted again.

“So where to?” Aang asks from the front of the saddle.

“The North Pole, of course,” Katara answers.

“We’ve lost enough time as it is,” Sokka adds.

“But...don’t you wanna see your dad?” Aang asks, turning to look at them.

“Yeah, of course we do. But you’re our family, too, and with you is where we’re needed most.”

“And we need you, too,” Katara adds.

Aang looks like he’s about to spill some tears.

Sokka hopes what he has to say next doesn’t make the metaphorical dam burst. “Hey, look. I know why you hid the map from us. You were scared we’d leave you. I get it. I felt that way when I saw our dad leave with the fleet. We’re sorry we left you, Aang.”

Ever so quick to forgive, Aang smiles softly. Sokka can see the light in his eyes brighten. Back to his normal, nearly-sickeningly chipper self. “It’s okay. I’d be angry, too. I’m just glad you came back.”

“Us, too,” Katara says.

“Too bad I don’t have a little piece of home for you. Something to remind you…” Aang says, aiming for nonchalance and failing miserably (at least in Sokka’s opinion).

_ Oh, he’s up to something. What’s he up to?  _ Sokka thinks, eying the young airbender suspiciously. Aang is darting his eyes around, looking all coy and about to burst with anticipation.

“That’s okay,” Katara tells him, clueless that Aang has some sort of surprise in store for her, the little lovesick puppy. 

“Still, just a little trinket. Something like...I dunno, maybe  _ this?” _ he says, and that’s when he produces their mother’s necklace that Katara thought she had lost weeks ago during their run in with the pirates.

Sokka rubs his eyes and blinks in disbelief. She’s been sulking about it for weeks, resigned to the fact it’s lost for good. Where did Aang even find it?

“Zuko asked me to be sure I got it to you!” the monk explains with a deft use of sarcasm that Sokka has seldom seen from him.

As Katara gives him a peck on the cheek in gratitude, Sokka rolls his eyes.

“Alright, alright. Enough sappy emotional stuff. I’ve reached beyond my limit for today.”

Katara shoots him a look, but it’s got no real ire behind it. “Well just because you’ve got the emotional range of a teaspoon…” 

Sokka raises his hands in a placating gesture. “It’s not that I can’t handle emotion, it’s just that I’ve reached my capacity. A guy can only handle so much.”

“You just don’t want anyone thinking you’re not man enough,” Katara teases. “But okay, we’ll give you your break, Mr. Sensitive.”

“Don’t call me that,” he pouts.

“I think it’s got a nice ring to it!” Aang chimes in with a laugh. “Sorry for emotionally exhausting you, Mr. Sensitive.”

Sokka glares at him and crosses his arms. “I hate you all.” 

Katara and Aang share a round of laughter at his expense as Sokka scowls, sinking into the saddle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing motivates a gal like reviews, so please send a quick message my way to let me know you enjoyed it (if you enjoyed it). 
> 
> Next up: Some fun times with our favorite self-loathing, jaded old firebending master: Jeong Jeong.


	3. The Deserter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeong Jeong's lessons about discipline and control when firebending hit home not only for Aang, but for Sokka as well.
> 
> You just might see some firebending in this one, too... *wink*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your comments and kudos for the past two chapters! They're really motivating and they put a big stupid grin on my face when I read them.
> 
> Small Disclaimer: As usual, some of these lines are straight from the episode or paraphrased.

As Aang begins his firebending training, Sokka perches himself on a tall rock and takes a shot at fishing for dinner. Or perhaps an early lunch --he’s already feeling peckish. Nearby, Katara goes through the waterbending forms she’s been practicing. She’s deep in concentration, but the same can’t be said for Aang, who Sokka can hear is struggling.

Frankly, so is he. He’s still reeling a bit from the Fire Festival. He’s never been around so many firebenders, and the aftermath has left him with an insatiable itch that frustrates and terrifies him. He’s glad to be away from it all at last, but as time passes and the feeling remains, he fears that it’ll turn out to be something that won’t go away until he finally gives into it. Or what if it drives him crazy? What happens to benders who don’t bend?

_ Don’t be stupid, Sokka,  _ he tells himself. He’ll be fine, he just has to take his mind off of it all. Fishing is a great way to accomplish it -- and to accomplish finding dinner. Two birds, one stone.

Except taking his mind off of it isn’t so easy when Aang is right there practicing with Jeong Jeong and he isn’t being quiet about it. Sokka turns his head just to peek at what they’re doing--not like he’s actually interested in knowing how to do any of it, of course! He’s just curious -- and then finds himself the subject of a backhanded compliment from the master himself.

“Even that oaf knows what to concentrate on!”

“Hey!” he objects.

“But what am I concentrating on?” Aang asks, bringing Jeong Jeong’s attention back to him.  _ Good, I don’t want anything to do with that grouch. _ Sokka swears this guy makes even  _ him,  _ the King of Pessimism according to Katara, seem like a beacon of hope and optimism.

Sokka means to return his focus to fishing, but that’s when Jeong Jeong starts to explain what Aang is meant to be concentrating on and he finds himself listening intently.

“Feel the heat of the sun. It is the greatest source of fire, yet it is in complete balance with nature.”

The sun. For a boy who’s lived in the South Pole where the sun never shows its face for long, Sokka has always felt rather drawn to it. To its warmth. Ever since he discovered he could firebend, he’s been acutely aware of its presence. It gives him energy; it brightens his mood. Don’t get him wrong, he loves his sleep, but Sokka’s always been a morning person--it’s like he senses when the sun is up and his body just knows to get up and soak it in while it’s there. Katara, on the other hand, has always been at her best once the moon rises.

He knows firebenders get their strength from the sun, everyone does, but it’s only now that he realizes that he does, too. Spirits, looking back it all makes so much sense!

Aang’s impatient voice snaps him back to focus once more. “So when do I get to make some fire?” 

“Concentrate!” Jeong Jeong barks back, and Sokka can’t help laughing along with his sister at seeing the poor, frustrated boy being chastised in such a manner. Aang lets his stance fall, turns around, and shoots them both a peeved look that only makes them laugh harder.

* * *

Later that evening, they’re gathered around the fire eating the fish Sokka caught earlier (after far too long) as Aang recounts with frustration his day of training with Master Jeong Jeong.

“--all the way up the mountain just to  _ breathe _ ! I’m an  _ Air _ Nomad! I was raised by  _ monks _ ! I already know  _ all about  _ breathing!”

“Well, maybe breathing plays a different part in firebending somehow?” Katara offers thoughtfully.

“He could just tell me about it, then. He doesn’t have to drag me up a mountain and leave me there for hours to do it alone! And then when I finally went down to his tent to confront him about it, he started telling me I was like some former student of his. He said that he didn’t want to learn discipline, he just wanted to know how to use the power of fire to destroy his enemies. I’m  _ nothing _ like that! I understand discipline! I’m not interested in destroying anything!” The wind stirs, causing the leaves in the trees around them begin to quiver and the fire to spit embers up into the air.

Katara holds up a placating hand, trying to calm him down and help him reason things out. “Aang, I think what Master Jeong Jeong was trying to say was--” Her words fall on deaf ears.

Aang goes on, voice rising in volume as he continues, the wind following suit. “I just want to learn how to firebend so I can stop Zuko and Zhao and, I dunno, prevent the Fire Nation from taking over the world! From murdering another entire nation like they did mine!”His last words are punctuated by a strong gust of wind which very nearly knocks out their fire with a chilling howl. 

“Aang,” Katara and Sokka both cut in sharply, bringing him back to his senses.

“Aang, he wasn’t trying to say you’re the same. He was just trying to tell you how important it is with firebending to learn control and discipline. I know you learned it growing up in the Air Temples, but maybe there are some things you still don’t know yet. Maybe you can learn a little more about those things, especially when it comes to controlling your emotions?” Katara gently suggests.

Aang sighs in defeat, slumping back on the log he’s perched on. “You’re right,” he quietly admits. “Jeong Jeong did also say that fire’s nature is to consume. Without control, it destroys everything around it.”

“That’s why he’s making you practice for so long. He wants to make sure you understand that. That you know how to keep control.”

“See?” Sokka casually says, waving a speared grilled fish around nonchalantly. “Firebending’s dangerous. He doesn’t want you to hurt anyone or anything.” He jabs the fish in Aang’s direction. “You can’t rush this, Aang. If you do, you could really hurt yourself or someone else.” And then, as if to help illustrate his point, the fish flops off the stick and into the fire with a loud splat and a sizzle. “NOOO!”

Aang giggles a little, though his mood’s a little dampened by the events of today. 

Katara snorts. “You know Gran Gran taught us not to play with our food,” she can’t help but retort. “But for once, Sokka makes a great point, although a little harshly put.”

Sokka throws his hands up. “Look, I’m just being honest. I don’t like any kind of bending, but firebending is by far the worst of them all. It does nothing but destroy.” It destroyed their family, it destroyed his chance at a normal life as a true Southern Water Tribe warrior, and it could potentially destroy the rest of the world if they didn’t stop the Fire Nation in time. 

There’s doubt in Aang’s face. Sokka can see that he agrees, but not completely. “But it can’t be all bad. I’ve met firebenders who weren’t bad. And besides, it’s one of the four elements. I have to learn it regardless. It’s part of the balance of this world.”

Sokka groans, rolling his eyes. “Balance schmalance. Please don’t get started on all that spiritual mumbo jumbo, Aang.” 

Katara huffs disapprovingly at him. Aang sighs and returns to eating his lame little slurry of porridge or whatever it is that he’s prepared for his own meal.

As the conversation veers off onto another topic, Sokka mulls things over. Perhaps Aang’s right, not every firebender is bad, although his personal experience can do nothing but refute that claim. He doesn’t believe  _ he’s  _ evil. But he’s sure of one thing, which is that really does do nothing but destroy _.  _ Since fire is a part of him, he has that ability to destroy, too. What happens if he keeps denying it? Can he even keep denying it, or will it continue trying to break out until it bursts free as is its nature? If fire’s nature is to consume, what does that mean for a firebender who refuses to let it?

His dinner doesn’t sit well with him after that conversation. As their campfire gently burns and Katara and Aang both doze off, Sokka lies awake, staring up at the stars through the trees with questions on his mind.

No longer able to withstand this restlessness, Sokka crawls out of his bedding and decides to go for a stroll. Without even realizing it, he finds himself walking toward Jeong Jeong’s hut.  _ Maybe he can help, _ a part of Sokka timidly suggests. For a moment Sokka debates it, but ultimately he decides that he doesn’t have the guts and he feels silly for even considering it. He’s in the midst of retreating when the rustling of the flap of the hut behind him catches his attention.

“You’re thinking so loudly it’s giving  _ me  _ a headache,” Jeong Jeong grumbles from behind as Sokka whips around to face him, startled. 

“That’s ridiculous. No one--”

Jeong Jeong cuts him off. “Quit bumbling and get inside.” He steps to the side, lifting the flap of the dwelling up for Sokka to enter.

Whatever the deserter has been up to, it isn’t sleeping. The candles set in a circle around the far wall are still lit. Sokka wonders what it was he’s been doing if it isn’t sleeping.  _ I thought old people went to bed early?  _ There’s nothing to indicate what he might have been up to. No scrolls, no tools.... Has he just been meditating?

“Sit down. Have some tea. Tell me why you’re here at this ridiculous hour disrupting my evening.” Jeong Jeong gestures to a cushion and the tea set sitting nearby.

_ Gee, I sure feel more like opening up now. _ Nevertheless, Sokka follows his instructions as Jeong Jeong pours him a cup and hands it off to him. He has to admit, tea does seem like a good idea right now. Perhaps it’ll help calm his mind.

“Go on. We haven’t got all night.”

Sokka narrows his eyes at him for a moment, peeved that he’s being hastened into this. But he supposes it’s better this way, otherwise he might back out and run from here as fast as his scrawny legs can carry him.

“I’m not sure where to start,” he ultimately confesses, clutching his tea and taking a small sip.

“What is it that brought you here?”

He hesitates, but at last he gets the words out. But he can’t meet Jeong Jeong’s eyes as he voices his question. “I...I wanted to ask you...if you’ve ever known a firebender who  _ didn’t  _ try to control his bending.”

Jeong Jeong hums thoughtfully. Sokka hears him sip at his own cup of tea. “Other than yourself, no.”

Sokka chokes, coughing and sputtering for a moment before he regains his composure and looks up at the master in utter shock. Oddly enough for someone with the ability to firebend, he feels his insides turn to ice and his face grow cold. “What?”

Jeong Jeong remains completely unphased. “Was it meant to be a secret?”

“Y-yes!”

“Perhaps the Avatar and your sister are blind to it, but I noticed it almost immediately. To a true master, it’s all too obvious what you are.”

“But I didn’t  _ do  _ anything! How did you know? What did I do that gave me away?” If Jeong Jeong can tell, who else might be able to? How is he going to keep it a secret from Aang and Katara?

“Don’t worry, I’m sure your friends wouldn’t be able to spot it if their lives depended on it. They’ve got their problems and you’ve got yours.”

“But how did you know?” Sokka asks, somewhat terse this time after being ignored the first.

“As a master, I could sense it in you when we first met. As a mere observer, I noticed you struggling to focus on your fishing while I was training the Avatar earlier. I could see you were curious about what I was teaching him.”

“I--” Sokka really doesn’t know how to respond to that. “Can most firebenders do that? Sense another like that?”

Jeong Jeong shakes his head. “Only skilled ones. Those who have mastered control and discipline in addition to the art of firebending itself. Those who are attuned to themselves and to nature. Just like we all feel the power and warmth of the sun, those who are attuned can feel the presence of another of our kind.”

Sokka’s jaw drops. Really? Well that’s...well, it’s  _ kinda  _ cool. Maybe there are some uses for that spiritual stuff after all. “How were you so sure, though? Even with that ability, how did you know for certain that I was…” he still doesn’t like to say it. “Y’know.”

Jeong Jeong shrugs, the tiniest hint of a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “I didn’t. Not until you held the tea.”

“What?” Sokka stares dumbfoundedly down at the tea in his hands. “What did the tea tell you about--?” and then he realizes it.

“Only a firebender could hold it and not be burned.”

Sokka glares at him. “So you gave me a scalding hot tea cup just on the  _ off chance  _ that I  _ was  _ a firebender?!”

“Rest assured, Sokka, I was quite certain. This was merely a means of confirmation.”

“But what if I wasn’t able to hold in even if I was one? I’ve never trained. I’ve only ever used it a few times!” Yes, admittedly he’s used his firebending more than once, but only ever when he was completely alone and only as a very last resort. 

“It’s an old and well-known test to check children in the Fire Nation for bending abilities. Hand a child a scalding cup and if they hold it without flinching, they are a firebender. Touch the cup and get burned, and they are surely not a firebender,” he explains.

“Oh,” is his intelligent and thoughtful response. There’s a brief silence as they both drink their tea. “So if you knew this whole time, why didn’t you confront me about it?” he wondered.

“I figured you would approach me when you were ready,” Jeong Jeong patiently replies. 

“You could’ve been waiting a real long time,” Sokka dryly answers. “I wasn’t planning on asking you tonight. I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to take a walk and I just wound up here.”

“You’re in conflict with this side of yourself.”

Sokka sips his tea and rolls his eyes. “Obviously. Three guesses why.”

“I’ve met others who share this conflict.”

He almost chokes on his tea again. “Really? Where? Who? What did they do?”

“Patience! Don’t bombard me with questions!”

Bowing his head, Sokka apologizes. 

“With the nations so divided and our pride in each of our cultures, and the hatred of all the nations towards the Fire Nation in particular, so strong it is not an easy time to be one thing and another.”

He nods. “You can say that again.”

“But being a firebender does not mean being part of the Fire Nation, as much as most peple are inclined to thin. Therefore, you are still of the Water Tribe. You must simply come to terms with the fact that you are also a firebender.”

_ Easier said than done, gramps. _

“I stress this because fire is a very dangerous element. It has the power only to destroy and cause pain, but it cannot be ignored. You do not need to learn to firebend, but you  _ must _ learn to embrace the fact that you can and learn to exercise control of that power. If you continue to deny the fire that burns within you, it will inevitably consume you and those around you.” 

Sokka gulps. “How do I do that, though?”

“Each person’s journey is different. I once met a woman from the southern part of the Earth Kingdom who was like you. She asked to be taught the basics of firebending. She said she wanted to understand the element and wield it well enough so she would not harm others. I taught her, and by the end of our lessons she seemed more at peace with herself now that she knew how to control the fire inside her, even if she did not want to use it.”

There’s a part of Sokka that flinches at the thought of learning to use it willingly. But there’s another part that swells with hope at the thought of ending this inner struggle. Perhaps he can even apply this knowledge to his combat skills. 

Though he still has reservations, the Earth Kingdom girl Jeong Jeong mentioned has a point. If he learns the basics, it will help him keep control so he doesn’t hurt anyone. Or accidentally out himself before he’s ready to tell anyone.

Jeong Jeong is, well frankly, a bit of an ass. But he’s experienced and has a clear understanding of how dangerous fire can be. It’s also clear he loathes his firebending on some level just as Sokka does his. If Sokka is going to learn the basics, Jeong Jeong seems like the teacher he needs.

After thinking it over carefully, Sokka comes to a decision at last. His heart is beating fast and he isn’t sure if the master will even accept him as a student, but he might as well take this chance while it’s open to him. “Can you teach me, too?”

And now it’s Jeong Jeong’s turn to look surprised, albeit very subtly. Guy’s not exactly the most emotive person. “I assume you’d want to be taught separately from the Avatar?”

“I’m not ready for him or my sister to find out yet.”

“Very well, then. We’ll start tomorrow. I’ll get the Avatar started on his training for the day and then meet you at the top of the hill I took him to today shortly thereafter.”

Setting his now empty teacup back on the tray in front of him, Sokka stands and bows. “Thank you, Master Jeong Jeong.” Knowing the man isn’t much for even basic pleasantries, Sokka wastes no time in bidding the master goodnight before departing the hut.

* * *

His stomach is twisted up in knots as he makes his way toward the mountain Jeong Jeong has agreed to meet him at. Sokka is nervous to willfully interact with the fire within him after denying it and hiding it for several years, but he also can’t help but feel a bit thrilled at the idea. He’s going to learn to finally control this. He’s going to be a bender like Aang and his sister. Sometimes he really feels like a third wheel amongst those two when they go off to practice or just use their abilities for everyday use. A part of him has always secretly wished he was free to use firebending to light a fire or cook meat, but of course he isn’t. 

He’s passing by the shoreline where Aang practiced yesterday when he hears a cry that he instantly identifies as Katara’s. Immediately he runs toward it, fearing the worst.

“Katara, I’m so sorry!” That’s Aang’s voice. What has he done?

When he clears the trees and comes to the water’s edge, he finds Katara kneeling, curled in on herself and crying. She’s clutching her hands. 

“Katara, what’s wrong?” He falls to his knees beside her, gently taking her wrists to see what the damage is. Sokka grits his teeth in anger as he sees the red, puckered skin of her palms. It looks angry and awful; painful for sure. He can’t fault her for crying. With that knowledge, he rounds on Aang, who is standing back, hands raised in a placating gesture. The guilt and panic on his face make it clear what’s happened, but he wants to hear it from the airbender himself. “What did you  _ do?” _ he demands.

“It was an accident!” Aang sputters. “I was--I didn’t mean to--Katara, I--” As Aang makes to move toward Katara, Sokka decks him. 

He pins the younger boy to the ground, rage coursing through him. How could Aang be so reckless? After all Jeong Jeong and Katara and even Sokka himself have told him! “I told you we shouldn’t mess around with this!”  _ We?  _ The voice in the back of his mind notes with interest.  _ That’s not how I meant it,  _ he tries to tell himself, but he knows it’s a lie. That’s exactly how he meant it. “Look what you did!” The image of Katara’s fresh burns flashes through his mind. He can still hear her off to his left, weeping. The pain will subside eventually, but the wounds...the wounds will be there forever. “You burned my sister!”

He sees the red hot tears in Aang’s eyes and the way that he refuses to meet Sokka’s eyes. As the anger subsides, Sokka realizes Aang is well aware of what he’s done. And he’s said he’s sorry several times. There’s no need to punish him any further. Aang will surely beat himself up over this enough without Sokka’s help.  _ Plus,  _ a little voice in his head reminds him,  _ this could just as easily have been you. _

Picking himself up, Sokka turns his focus to Katara, but she’s already on her feet and running off.

“Katara, wait--!” but she’s gone.

“Sokka, I didn’t mean to--”

“Then you shouldn’t have--” He freezes, noticing Jeong Jeong arriving on the scene. He rounds on the elderly master. “You left him alone. You should’ve been supervising him, but instead you left! This is all your fault!” He decidedly is  _ not  _ going to mention that part of the reason Jeong Jeong left him (the other part being that it seems to just be his teaching style) was to go and teach Sokka.

To his credit, Jeong Jeong bows his head and concedes that he’s right. Not what Sokka was expecting. “I know. Pack your things. You must leave immediately.”

Sokka looks from Jeong Jeong to Aang, still on the ground, clutching the grass with tears in his eyes.

“Sokka, I’m sorry!”

_ Save it, _ he thinks, shutting his eyes and walking away. He has bags to pack.

* * *

With Katara’s wounds healed and Aang having thoroughly learned his lesson about firebending, Sokka’s anger dissipates. With Aang and Katara talking about some sort of waterbending nonsense or whatever at the front of Appa’s saddle, Sokka settles in back and lets his mind wander. It settles on Jeong Jeong.

He wonders where the master and his disciples have gone off to after the fight with Zhao. Would they ever come across him again? Sokka’s glad they escaped the mad general and the Fire Nation’s clutches, but now he mourns the loss of a teacher. As nervous as he was about using his firebending, Sokka realizes now that he really had been looking forward to learning from him.

Their encounter with Jeong Jeong and his men, however, has also left Sokka with a lump in his throat. The warning Jeong Jeong imparted to him still rings in his ears: “ _ If you continue to deny the fire that burns within you, it will inevitably consume you and those around you.”  _

He isn’t sure just how literal that message is meant to be, but he most definitely does not want to find out. They’re lucky Katara was able to heal herself, but most people are not so lucky. Most people’s burns turn to scars that remain with them for life. 

For now, he can hide his firebending. Soon, though, he will need to learn how to control it or risk putting everyone in danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed finally seeing some firebending! I hope I did alright with Jeong Jeong and everyone's characters.
> 
> As always, please leave kudos and, if you really love what you're reading, leave a comment! You guys have been fantastic so far, so keep it up!


	4. The Siege of the North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At the North Pole, Sokka falls for Princess Yue and can't help but pursue her despite knowing he's not worthy of her for a number of reasons. After the siege is over and he's left reeling from the consequences, an enemy becomes a friend who helps him mourn his loss and assist him in his quest for self-acceptance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the late update! I've been deskwarming here for ages and finally work started up again this week so I have less time on my hands. This chapter was written a while ago, but I wanted to go through it again to make sure it was good cause it's an important one. But I think you'll enjoy it! ;D
> 
> Hope everyone's staying safe during this wild time!

Yue enchants him immediately, never mind the North Pole. Sure, the Northern Water Tribe is beautiful with its beautifully sculpted homes and intricately connected waterways, but it all pales in comparison to the sight of her.

_ Love really is blinding _ , Sokka can’t help but think as he sits on the fur carpeted floor by the fire in their accommodations. Katara and Aang are off celebrating Katara’s success in getting Master Pakku to train her, so he’s got the room all to himself. “Of course she’s sending mixed signals. She does like me, but she’s a  _ princess. _ She’s too good for me.”

Watching Katara and Pakku earlier, Sokka realizes now what he should have the moment he learned who the beautiful, silver-haired girl was. She’s a princess, royalty among the hierarchical and intricate society of the Northern Water Tribe, and he’s a peasant in comparison. She will have to marry someone of equal stature, not some goofy wannabe-warrior from the dust speck of a nation that is the Southern Tribe.

And certainly not a wannabe-warrior who is also secretly a firebender. 

He resolves to find her again tonight so he can tell her he understands and will stop pursuing her. 

* * *

It’s not so much his social status as it is the fact that she’s already betrothed that is the issue. Not that the truth doesn’t sting any less. In fact, it hurts more given that she revealed it only after kissing him like  _ that. _

His lips still tingle a bit as he flops down on his bed and buries his face in the pillows. He groans loudly, causing Katara and Aang to look over in the middle of their stretches in interest. 

“Trouble in paradise, lover-boy?” Katara teases. Aang chuckles.

Sokka mumbles a response into the pillows, which of course comes off as incoherent grumbling to them.

“Come again?” Aang says.

Sokka grunts. He would  _ really  _ rather not talk about this right now.

“That’s Sokka-speak for ‘yes’,” Katara interprets.

“Sorry, Sokka.” At least Aang sounds sincere.

“Care to talk about it?” Katara asks. Sokka gives another grunt which he knows she’ll understand to mean ‘absolutely not’. “Ouch, that bad, huh.”

He hears the air in the room shift and swirl about, the tell-tale signs of Aang airbending, and then there’s a muffled little plop on the pillow next to him. “I know it’s not much, but here’s an extra mochi I smuggled from dinner earlier,” Aang says as he floats down onto the edge of the bed.

Sokka sighs and rolls over onto his side, facing away from the Avatar and his sister. “Thanks, Aang.” He doesn’t mean for it to sound so unappreciative because truly, it is a nice gesture.

A moment later, he feels Katara’s figure settle onto the other end of the bed. She gingerly reaches over and pats his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Sokka.” That sounds more sincere.

Sokka didn’t want to tell them anything about it, but the longer they sit with him, the more he feels the pressure build up inside of him until finally, “Yue ‘s engaged!”

“What?” Aang cries.

“Oh, Sokka.”

Sokka curls in on himself a little more. “I should’ve known better than to think I’d have a chance with her.”

“Stop it,” Katara snaps. “As much as I may tease you, you’re a wonderful person, Sokka. Any girl would be lucky to have you.”

“Yeah, Katara’s right!” Aang brightly adds. “You’re smart, you’re brave, you’re funny--”

Sokka growls. “Would the both of you just stop! It’s pointless. Someone beat me to it. And I could get past that, but what  _ really _ upsets me is that I can tell she doesn’t even  _ like  _ this guy she’s marrying--whoever he is! I mean, you should’ve seen the way she  _ kissed  _ me--”

“She  _ kissed _ you?” Katara exclaims.

“Whoa,  _ really _ ?” Aang simultaneously says.

He hadn’t meant to tell them that part. He hadn’t meant to tell them any of it, actually. But he and his big mouth… “Yeah,” he says defeatedly. “And then right after she told me about being engaged.”

“That’s rough,” Aang says. “But if she likes you and not him, why marry him?”

“Gran Gran had an arranged marriage like that with Master Pakku. She left the Northern Water Tribe rather than marry someone she didn’t love. Yue doesn’t have that choice,” Katara says. “She must be so torn over wanting to do her duty to her people and wanting to be happy.”

“So you think I’m right?” Sokka asks, rolling over onto his back now so he can look his sister in the eyes.

“For once, I think you’re spot on.”

“Well at least it’s not my imagination, then.”

“No, it’s not.” She shakes her head. “Not this time, anyway,” she adds with a snicker.

“Can we leave the North Pole now? I don’t think I can spend another day in this place,” Sokka moans. 

Katara frowns. “Sorry, Sokka. You’re just gonna have to wait it out.”

Sokka grabs the pillow out from under him, sending the mochi rolling and knocking into Aang’s knee (not that Sokka cares), and holds it over his face. He yells into it in frustration. Katara pats his leg.  _ There, there. _

* * *

Despite the revelation from last night, Sokka winds up seeking Yue out again that morning to attempt the Just Friends maneuver. She’s too amazing a girl to just let her disappear from his life. And maybe he figures that if he can’t date her, at least he can still make her happy by just being there for her. It seems too few people are truly willing to do that. 

As they stroll through the city, Sokka can tell she’s definitely nervous about even being friends -- _ which means she’s  _ really  _ into you _ ! His ego pipes up from the back of his brain. He silently tells it to kindly shut up because it’s not about him, it’s about her. It hurts to know he can never kiss her again or be her boyfriend, but the way she smiles when he says the right thing or does something goofy or the way her eyes glimmer with genuine delight makes just being in her life at all worth it. 

He tells her about the Southern Water Tribe some more, but eventually he’s sparked by the idea of taking her to meet Appa. Oh, she’ll love it! It’ll be exciting and fun and-- _ and romantic, too!  _ He catches himself thinking, and quickly squishes the thought before it can grow into anything more. Sure enough, Appa is a true wingman --well, aside from the licking when he first greeted the beast. But that made Yue laugh, so he’ll let it slide this time. 

Romance is put aside as they fly above and beyond the Northern Water Tribe and discover the approaching Fire Nation fleet. Or at least, it is until they reach about halfway up the steps leading to the main gathering hall and Yue stops him. She tells him that it’s too difficult to be friends and that there is no option left but to never see each other again. Well, that might not be too much of an issue given what’s about to happen…

Sokka is devastated, for sure, but the expression on Yue’s face crushes him. She’s got tears welling up in her beautiful glacial eyes that she’s trying so hard to hold back.  _ She doesn’t need to put on an act for me. Or for anyone else, for that matter! She should be able to express herself! _ “You don’t love him, do you?” he asks, instead. She doesn’t answer. Doesn’t dare look him in the eye. It’s all the answer he needs. “You don’t even seem to  _ like _ him!” Why commit to something that makes her so unhappy?

“I love my  _ people _ ,” Yue answers.

Sokka wants to throw his hands up in the air. Sure, he gets that she’s got a duty to her people, but they’d understand if she said no and chose someone else. Shouldn’t they want a princess who’s happy? And even if they don’t for some cruel reason, why should it matter? Just because she’s a princess doesn’t mean she doesn’t get to live a happy life. Why can’t she have both? “You’re not marrying them!” he cries back.

She rounds on him, telling him that she has inescapable duties to her father and her tribe. “I have to do this,” she insists, and before he can argue any further, she races past him and into the gathering hall. Sokka bows his head and blinks back frustrated tears.  _ Why are you so upset? Even if she wasn't marrying someone else, it still never would have worked between you. You know why.  _ Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he continues up the steps.

When the chief asks for volunteers for a dangerous mission, Sokka rises to his feet without missing a beat. “Count me in.” This is a mission the chief mentioned many may not come back from, and Sokka isn’t cowed by that knowledge. He understands doing what has to be done for your people. He understands sacrifice.

He solemnly steps in line to receive the mark of commitment that the chief paints on each volunteer’s forehead, but keeps his head down so as to avoid meeting Yue’s gaze. He’s not sure he can keep his composure if he sees her. 

Head heavy with the weight of what he’s just committed to and the words of Yue’s father echoing in his ears, Sokka descends the steps and returns to Aang and Katara. He doesn’t see the tear that escapes Yue’s eye.

* * *

Once the moon returns to the sky and the Water Spirit Aang summoned via the Avatar State disappears from the horizon, Katara quickly runs off to go find the Airbender. She asks if he’ll follow, but Sokka shakes his head. 

“I need a minute,” he tells her quietly, staring into the moonlit pond where the two fish representing Tui and La now swim lazily about. Sokka’s obviously not the most in tune with the spirits, but something about the way they’re swimming and just...their energy, he supposes, tells him that these are just plain old fish now. Somehow, he knows they’ve merged together into Yue. Yue, no longer a princess but the spirit of the moon.

It’s the knowledge that she’s not totally gone and she’ll always be watching that comforts him enough to not be devastated by the loss of her. But he still hurts. Aches at the loss of her.

“I think we both know she isn’t truly gone,” a voice says from behind, startling him. It’s the old man with the crazy white beard, Zuko’s uncle. Iroh’s his name, if he’s not mistaken. Something about him and the way he fought with Zhao over the moon spirit lets him know he need not fear the man or view him as an enemy even if he is Zuko’s uncle.

“No, she isn’t.” He hastily wipes his face to clear the tears away. “But she’s not coming back, either.” The tears come right back, and this time Sokka doesn’t bother, knowing it’s a futile effort. Normally he’d try harder to obscure them, but everything hurts too much right now for that. Surely the old man notices the tears, but he has enough tact not to comment. Sokka’s thankful for that.

The firebender sits down beside him. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks,” Sokka sniffles. He looks up at the moon, seeing it in a way he’s never seen before. It doesn’t look any different, but he can feel her presence up there somehow. It’s strange but comforting.  _ Maybe this is how Aang feels about his ties to the spirit world,  _ he muses.

A long stretch of silence ensues, and Sokka wonders if the old man is planning on leaving any time soon. His presence is sort of nice, but Sokka would frankly much rather be alone right now. 

“You’re not like any other firebender I’ve met,” he suddenly blurts out, having dwelled on this fact for a few minutes now.

“That’s a relief. I like to think I’m at least a little special,” the general says with a chortle.

“That’s not what I meant.”

His expression sobers. “You think we are all ruthless and power-hungry like Zhao.” He isn’t asking, he’s already well aware of how the world views him. 

“I dunno if I’d say that…” His experiences have taught him yes, aside from perhaps Master Jeong Jeong. But ever since he learned he himself was a firebender, Sokka has been wrestling with this assumption a lot. If they’re all ruthless and power-hungry, then didn’t that make Sokka like that, too? He didn’t think he was, but what if that changed? What if that fire inside him that Jeong Jeong mentioned consumed him one day and made him just like Zhao?

“Because you don’t think it is true about yourself,” Iroh finishes for him.

The air suddenly feels very thick and warm. Sokka stills, eyes fixated on the edge of the pond where the water meets the earth.

“You will drive yourself mad the more you deny your true nature, my young friend.”

“I’m not denying anything,” Sokka shoots back, refusing to make eye contact with the man.

“Sure, and I’m the great spirit Hei Bai,” he teases, and Sokka responds with an unappreciative glare. The old man sighs. “You and my nephew are very much alike in this regard. You are both at war with yourselves. And I get the feeling you are equally stubborn.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I understand it must be difficult to belong, in some sense, to two nations. You may not want to learn firebending --that’s understandable-- but perhaps you would allow me to show you something that may help you on your journey to accepting the fact that you can.”

Sokka’s weary, not because he feels like he can’t trust him but because he’s still not sure he wants to even touch fire. After seeing what Zhao and Aang did, he’s still only ever seen the ugly things that fire can do. But the elderly firebender takes his silence as permission, and when Sokka looks over at him he’s got his palms out and gesturing for him to do the same.

“This is merely a simple breathing exercise. It will help you learn to focus, maintain control, and most importantly, realize that fire is not only destruction. It is also life.” He shuts his eyes, and Sokka hears him deeply inhale and exhale. “Do as I do. Close your eyes and match my breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Focus  _ only _ on our breathing.”

Sokka listens, closing his eyes, and thinks he begins to feel something as their breathing slows and evens out. It starts out like a...a warm feeling in his belly, and then it branches out until he feels a tingling in his fingertips.

“Open your eyes.” 

Slowly, Sokka opens them and looks over at the old man, wondering what prompted him to end this breathing thing they’ve been doing. 

“I don’t want you to be alarmed, but take a look: you’re firebending,” he says with a gentle smile and a nod down at Sokka’s splayed palms.

When he looks down, sure enough, he sees that he’s nursing a small fire in his palms. His eyes widen. And then he tries not to freak out as he begins to wonder how the hell he’s gonna make it go away.

“Now look at the fire and continue your breathing,” the firebender instructs.

As he does, to his amazement and fascination, the fire grows and shrinks in time with his breathing. For the first time, he feels a comfort in the flame he’s cradling and an absence of fear. For once, it feels sort of...right? After watching this for a few moments, he looks back up at the man beside him, but he’s not really sure what he means to say. Somehow, Iroh knows exactly what he means. 

“Like everything else in the world, there is a balance here between creation and destruction. Fire  _ is  _ dangerous, but so are all of the other elements. They are all equally capable of violence.”

“I’m starting to see that,” he quietly agrees.

Iroh looks pleased. “Good,” he says with a nod. “I’m sure you’re wondering how to put it out now,” he adds, gesturing to the flame Sokka’s still holding. He nods a little frantically, looking at the thing --the  _ flame _ !-- in his hands with trepidation. “Take a deep breath, and when you let it out concentrate on the flame. It won’t always be necessary, but for now, it may help to close your fist around the fire to extinguish it.” He demonstrates. It seems easy enough. 

Steeling himself, Sokka follows his instructions and, sure enough, the fire disappears. “I did it!” Sokka says in wonder. He grins up at Iroh. There’s a warm, crinkly smile to match already awaiting him. 

“You are a quick study, my friend.”

Sokka swells with a sense of pride he hasn’t felt since his father left to fight in the war, then reminds himself that it’s ridiculous to feel so pleased about making the man proud. He isn’t family, he’s the family of his enemy! Family of the scarred prince who just tried to kidnap his friend  _ again  _ for like the hundredth time!

But he’s already said it, hasn’t he? Iroh isn’t like the other firebenders he’s met. Sokka has only known him for a matter of minutes, but he already feels like he can trust him. So he cuts the man off with a shake of his head. “Name’s Sokka. You’re Iroh, right?”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sokka.” They bow to each other.

Silence falls between them once more, slightly awkward but also strangely companionable. Again Sokka is the one to break it as he sees the rapidly brightening morning sky. He didn’t realize so much time had passed. “I suppose your  _ ever-so-pleasant _ nephew must be looking for you by now.”

The old man frowns. He seems disappointed with the path Zuko’s taken; like he hoped for something different. “I know he has done some awful things to you and your friends, but I promise you, there is more to Zuko than that. He’s still searching for himself.”

He wishes he could believe that, but Sokka’s a man who acts on what he sees, not what he believes. So far, all he’s seen of Zuko is an angry older boy with a sole driving purpose: to capture Aang. He’ll do anything he has to in order to achieve that goal: kidnap, threaten, blackmail, bribe… “Yeah, sorry, but I don’t think I’ll believe that until I see it.” Swiftly, Sokka gets to his feet and stretches. Just how long have they been sitting here for?

“I hope one day you shall,” Iroh says as he struggles to rise from the ground. Sokka, already standing, reaches out a hand to help him up. Iroh expresses his thanks as he steadies himself at last and smooths out his robes. “‘Til then, I wish you the best of luck on your path to self-acceptance.”

Iroh’s helped him a lot in the short time they’ve spent together. “Thank you,” Sokka says with all the sincerity he is able to convey. He puts his hands together and does the customary bow. 

Iroh bows back, then heads back toward the entryway to the oasis before disappearing behind its door.

Sokka looks back up at the moon, fading from view as the sun overtakes it, and smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you don't know, mochi is a Japanese rice cake. It's a traditional sweet made from pounding rice into a paste and then molding it into a desired shape. 
> 
> If you think there's a lot of bowing in this and/or previous chapters, that's cause there kind of is. In a lot of Asian cultures, like the ones Avatar is based on, people bow in greeting whether it's to say hello, goodbye, thank you, nice to meet you...In the show it looks like they typically use a Chinese-style bow, or at least as far as my knowledge goes. I could be wrong. I just know that in Japan, where I currently live and teach English, they bow differently. And they bow a LOT haha. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and getting to see Sokka ACTUALLY do a little firebending this time! Let me know what you think of Iroh and Sokka's interaction because I agonized over this. Also let me know what you think of the characterization of everyone else, too.
> 
> Thanks as always for being fantastic and leaving such wonderful reviews and so many kudos! Love y'all!


	5. The Swamp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting stuck in a swamp and separated from each other, the gang are all plagued by visions. What kind of visions await our favorite meat and sarcasm guy with a secret ability to firebend? We know Aang and Katara get answers for what they see, but does Sokka find the same sort of solace in what Huu has to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for being so understanding about the late update! You all are seriously just the sweetest and I know I say it every time, but for real, your reviews make me smile like such a fool when I read them! I'm so happy that you're all enjoying the story!
> 
> I hope you like this chapter, too. I like to think it's got some good humor in it, but you let me know if I'm as funny as I think I am (and if I'm not, just try to let me down easy, 'kay?) I tried to put a lot of Sokka's voice into it since there's a lot going on in his head and also a little less dialogue, perhaps, than usual? Anyways, this was a fun chapter to write so I hope it's fun to read!
> 
> Also, sorry it's a little shorter!

This place stinks. No, literally, it _stinks._ It smells of mud and wet fur and...and eggs. Really rotten eggs. And despite all the life among the trees and the vines and the water, the place is eerily quiet. Sokka hates it. He cannot _wait_ to leave this place!

He lets these thoughts drive him as he hacks through the thick and twisting greens that block his path as he tries to find his way back to the others. His arm is starting to feel sore but he ignores it. Something about this place --not just the smell or the eerie stillness-- doesn’t sit right with him. _Oh please, that’s just the swamp gas talking. Or maybe that elbow leech…_ The sooner he finds Aang and Katara, not to mention Appa and Momo, the sooner they can get out of here for good. Hopefully it’ll be before something awful happens.

But of course, nothing ever goes smoothly for Sokka, does it? 

With the next swing of his machete, the vines fall away to reveal a fork in the path. _Oh, come on!_ One path opens up to more murky water and a smattering of reed-thin trees. There are some fallen logs and stumps about, enough perhaps to use in order to cross through this part of the swamp instead of wading through the water. Sunlight peeks through the canopy above and provides an almost ethereal light.

The other path is far more densely populated by trees and bamboo. The ground is greener, too, with a collection of leafy plants and moss. Scattered pools of water and puddles litter the floor, as well. What he notices the most, however, is the fact that it’s _dark._ And then he hears some sort of screeching noise --do birds make those kinds of horrific sounds?!-- and--

“Absolutely _not_ ,” Sokka flat out refuses, turning back to the better lit path and heading toward it.

As he hops up onto a fallen tree, something to the left catches his eye and makes him pause. He looks, but there’s nothing, and he dismisses it as a trick of the light. It happens again not a moment later, but on his right. He pauses a moment longer this time, waiting and watching the trees. The forest is still.

When it happens a third time, Sokka’s about to let the forest know how he feels about these stupid mind tricks when something rustles in the canopy above. Sokka raises his machete, ready to fight over whatever it is, when a bird suddenly flies into his face and he gets a mouthful of feathers and damn near has a heart attack.

The bird is pretty unphased, resuming its course in an instant and disappearing from sight.

Sokka lets out a cry of frustration. “ _Stupid_ Avatar and his _stupid_ spirit nonesense!” 

And then it happens again, but this time he most _definitely_ sees it: a flash of blue and someone running. He calls out to whoever it is, hoping it might be Katara, but he’s ignored. Sokka gives chase, and it brings him to a clearing where the figure in blue has stopped, facing him now.

“Dad?” It can’t be. He’s --well, Sokka has no idea where he is, but he’s most _certainly_ not in some stanky overgrown swamp. 

“You’re not my son.” It sure sounds like dad. And looks like him. But it can’t be. This is just the swamp playing tricks on him. “You have no right to call me that.”

Sokka doesn’t answer, instead searching about him to determine which direction to head off in next. He was stupid to even chase after this Hakoda-look-alike in the first place. 

It would seem this mirage or hallucination or whatever it is has other ideas. It suddenly appears in front of him --how, he hasn’t a _clue_ \-- and now Sokka can very clearly see the pale imitation of his father that it is. But it’s tall and broad-shouldered and _imposing_ , making a shiver go down his spine. In the blink of an eye it unsheathes its blade from where it hangs at his side and holds it to Sokka’s throat. It glares down at him menacingly. “Whenever you’re finished this little adventure with the Avatar, don’t bother coming home...firebender.”

Sokka blinks back the tears stinging at the corners of his eyes as he steps backward, away from Not His Father. As soon as he’s gained enough distance between them and he judges that the specter doesn’t plan on following him, Sokka books it. He tears through the tangled tree limbs and ensnaring vines, fumbles through the brown waters until he comes across what looks like an entirely different part of the swamp.

Shaking off the mud and water, he rests his hands on his knees. Sokka closes his eyes and tries to catch his breath. 

“It’s just swamp gas. Yeah. That’s all it is, Sokka. Swamp gas...or the light playing tricks on me or...or I hit my head running away last night. _Oooooor_ I’m going crazy! All viable options!” he tells himself, sounding half-mad already.

“Don’t blame the swamp, Sokka.” He most certainly does _not_ let out an unmanly yelp at the unexpected voice from behind him. Sokka whips around to face whatever new and awful apparition the swamp has conjured this time.

“Yue?!” He rubs his eyes, blinks a few times, but she’s still there floating in front of him. Shimmering in the light-- _the light. It’s a trick of the light, that’s all! You’ve been stuck in the dark too long. Your eyes are just adjusting._

“You’re pretending just like I was. Pretending you belong and that you’re not hiding a secret from everyone, even your sister,” she says. 

“It’s different,” Sokka answers, not even thinking about how silly it is to be arguing with a figment of his imagination. 

“Is that what you tell yourself?” That accusatory tone sounds nothing like Yue. “And what do you tell yourself about me? About how you failed to protect me?”

A shiver runs down his spine, and Sokka swallows hard. Tears well up in his eyes yet again, and he quickly swipes them away and bids them to stop. _Remember: it’s not really her,_ he reminds himself. It’s the snap back to reality that he needs to will himself to turn away from her and leave.

But when he turns around, she’s already there, staring him down. He screams. And after pivoting so hard away from her, stopping so soon again makes him lose his balance and fall backward into the water. “You failed me, Sokka.”

“Leave me alone!” he shouts, at the apparition, at the swamp, at whatever spirits are listening that seem to _seriously_ have it out for him for some reason…He scrambles backward in an attempt to get some distance between them, breathing hard. She follows.

Shaking, he gets to his feet at last and sprints away. He climbs up the humongous root of a tree and then jumps onto another nearby root, only to lose his balance and go tumbling down a hill. When the decline finally seems to grant him mercy and slow his motion, he staggers back to his feet and raises his machete, ready to once again hack through the vines in search of his sister and Aang. It’ll feel good to swing his weapon and let out his frustrations.

Except a moment later, he hears a commotion. Shouts that sound familiar. He tightens his grip on his machete, ready to fight off whatever awful new thing this swamp has prepared for him this time when--

“Oof!” The wind’s knocked out of him as two _very real_ objects--people--crash into him and send all three of them barreling down another hill.

At last, Sokka gets to his feet and brushes himself off. “Can I just stay on my feet for FIVE. MINUTES?!” He screams, near hysterics, into the air.

Aang and Katara stare at him. _Aang and Katara! Oh, thank the freaking Spirits!_

“What have you been doing? I’ve been looking _everywhere_ for you two!” He’s waving his hands around like a crazy man, he knows this, but he can’t help himself. He’s so _beyond_ finished with this awful place. Besides, it helps him cover up the fact that he’s still shaking a little from his run in with Not Yue.

Katara, still sitting on the root they’ve landed on, looks up at his annoyedly. “Well, _I’ve_ been wandering around looking for _you_!”

Aang airbends himself to his feet, rubbing the back of his neck and looking furtively about. He looks embarrassed. “I was chasing some girl.”

“Interesting place to go looking for a date,” Sokka mutters sarcastically. Katara shoots him a look, as usual.

Aang ignores him, stepping over to Katara to help her to her feet.

“What girl?” she asks.

“I dunno. I heard laughing and saw some girl in a fancy dress.

“Well, there must be some tea party here and we just didn’t get our invitations,” Sokka deadpans, waving his arms in exasperation.

He’s expecting another Shut Up Or I’ll Waterbend You Into a Tree look from Katara, but instead she’s folding her arms protectively across her chest and averting her eyes to the ground. “I thought I saw mom.”

He sighs. “Look, we were all just scared and hungry and our minds were playing tricks on us. That's why we all saw things out here.”

Katara looks back up at him, surprised. “You saw something, too?”

_Dammit._ His turn to look sheepish. “I--I thought I saw Yue.” No need to tell them he saw dad, too. Katara’s got that pitying look in her eyes, and Aang’s are wide and sad as he watches their exchange. Feeling uncomfortably vulnerable, Sokka shifts their focus. “But that doesn’t prove anything. Look, I think about her _all_ the time. And you saw mom, someone you miss a lot and think about often, too.”

Aang looks perplexed. “But what about me? I didn’t know the girl I saw, and all our visions lead us right here.” He starts to walk around, looking for something. Sokka hasn’t a clue what. All he sees are more vines and limbs. 

“Okay, so...where’s here? The middle of the swamp?” Katara asks.

Aang’s gaze settles on a massive tree looming right beside him. “Yeah,” he says, as if coming to some kind of epiphany. “The center...it’s the heart of the swamp. It’s been calling us here, I knew it!”

Sokka rolls his eyes. “It’s just a tree! It can’t _call_ anyone. For the last time, there’s nothing after us and there’s nothing magical or spiritual happening here. Just mind tricks and--”

At that moment, a giant swamp monster bursts from the water. 

“Are you _kidding_ me right now?” Sokka cries out. Why does the universe just love to prove him wrong all the time?

* * *

After a fight with the Not Swamp Monster But a Waterbending Swamp Dweller that had Sokka thinking for a good minute that he was about to die Death By Vine Asphyxiation, the gang find themselves going for a nice little stroll with the guy.

At last he leads them to a spot where he gestures for them to take a seat. Sokka skeptically sits down beside his friends and listens as the swamp dweller tells them of the interconnectedness of the swamp and the world. That “we’re all living together, even if most folks don’t act like it. We all have the same roots and we are all branches of the same tree.”

Sokka wants to dismiss it as some spiritual nonsense but...it’s an oddly comforting thought. _We all have the same roots_ ... _all branches of the same tree_ … He wonders if his father and Katara will see it that way when they learn what Sokka is.

“But what did our visions mean?” Katara cuts in, asking a question that has been on everyone’s minds. Well, hers and Aang’s minds, anyway. Sokka has discounted them as mere hallucinations brought on by the thick, odorous airs of the swamp or his mind playing tricks on him. There’s no need to take stock in them. Who cares what they represent, they weren’t real. “I saw my mother. She’s been gone for years. Sokka saw Princess Yue, who--” she glances over at Sokka, clearly trying to tread carefully. “Isn’t around anymore, either.”

“In the swamp, we see visions of people we've lost, people we loved. Folks we think are gone. But the swamp tells us they're not. We're still connected to ‘em. Time is an illusion and so is death.”

Even if he was invested in understanding what he’s seen in the swamp, what the man says doesn’t help Sokka any. He already knows that he’s still connected to Yue. He still looks up at the moon every night and swears sometimes that he can see her face carved into its shadows. But what about his father? Hakoda isn’t dead or lost. 

In fact, both his visions don’t seem to be tied to any kind of sense of connectedness, but rather a sense of guilt. He feels guilty for lying to his father. He feels guilty for not protecting Yue.

He doesn’t dare ask Swamp Guy about it. The questions it would lead Aang and Katara to ask…

Besides, he doesn’t care that much about what some backwater waterbender who likes to scare people for fun thinks.

* * *

Once they’ve found Appa and Momo, eaten some comically large bugs, and discussed the mysterious science behind seemingly-self-made swamp tornadoes, the gang are back on Appa and resuming their flight through the Earth Kingdom in search of an earthbending teacher for Aang. 

The airbender in question is at Appa’s head, chatting with Momo and feeding him nuts. 

“So,” Katara starts, glancing up at the night sky above, “you wanna talk about what you saw?”

Sokka glances over at her to see the concern in her eyes. The loss of Yue is still pretty raw and fresh, and after seeing her today in the swamp, Katara’s surely worried about him. He looks away, hugging his arms around himself a little tighter and letting himself believe it’s because of the cold. “No, thanks.”

“Are you sure?” she gently prods. “You’ve seemed off ever since.”

“Of course I was ‘off’! I was in a _greasy_ old swamp with some _greasy_ old swampbenders and I wanted to get _outta_ there!”

“Sokka,” she says pointedly. 

“Don’t ‘ _Sokka_ ’ me. There’s nothing to talk about. Wu or whatever his name was already explained it for us.”

“Like you actually took stock of what he had to say,” Katara skeptically rebukes. “But okay. If you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s fine. Just…” her tone softens, “know that I’m here if you ever do.”

“Sure,” Sokka mutters absently as he pulls a dagger and a hunk of wood out of his bag, beginning to carve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what'd you think of my take on the swamp? Lemme know in comments! I love reading your responses! 
> 
> P. S. Sorry there's no actual bending in this one, but I hope you liked Sokka's "interactions" with "Yue" and "Hakoda". My poor boy. I make him suffer so.


	6. The Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wan Shi Tong's Library holds the secrets Sokka needs to help Team Avatar defeat the Fire Nation, but it also holds a few extra. And it makes Sokka realize just why he's so determined to learn about the darkest day in Fire Nation history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forever grateful for your lovely comments on the fic so far! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.
> 
> This chapter may hold the greatest deviation from canon yet! Instead of a knot of string, Sokka offers something a little more substantial and fitting of his character for Wan Shi Tong. hahaha. Okay, maybe not the greatest. But I really felt, deep in my bones, that Sokka would have nothing but a string on his person to offer. He's an inventor and a hunter! A navigator and a strategist! And he's just a straight up nerd. Of COURSE he'd have something! No one can convince me otherwise, not even the Great Creators of Avatar themselves. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Some dialogue is taken from "The Library" episode or paraphrased/"inspired" by that dialogue. So it's not ALL my own. If any of it feels familiar, that's why.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

Surely, everyone expects Sokka to pull something worthless or dumb out of his pockets to offer the great Wan Shi Tong, if he’s able to produce anything at all. Instead, he shocks them all by pulling out an ivory dagger with a leopard-seal leather handle and lined with a bit of polar bear-dog fur for decoration. He handcrafted it himself when he was 13. 

“Oh great Knowledge Spirit,” he says, bowing deeply as he holds out the offered weapon, “please accept this humble offering.” He straightens back up to look at the giant owl. “It’s a traditional Southern Water Tribe dagger. I crafted it myself.”

Sokka’s not sure if owls have eyebrows, but this one certainly has an expression reminiscent of someone raising their brows in surprise. When he speaks, however, he doesn’t sound very impressed. “A bit crudely made, but still a rarity, indeed. I haven’t seen a Southern Water Tribe artifact in at least 100 years.” Sokka resists the urge to comment on the ‘crudely made’ bit given that he’s some kind of omniscient otherworldly spirit. And he’s kinda at this big bird’s mercy while he’s in its library. So for once, he’ll keep his quips to himself.

“Fascinating,” says Professor Zei from beside him, who looks like he’s resisting the urge to reach out and request that he be able to examine the weapon himself for a moment before the owl tucks it away in the library somewhere.

Well at least  _ someone _ was impressed with 13-year-old Sokka’s craftsmanship. 

The spirit swipes the dagger from his hands --Sokka swears he detects a bit of hostility in the action-- before raking his scrutinous eyes across Team Avatar once more. “Enjoy the library,” he says rather insincerely. The owl spirit spreads its wide wings and then leaps from the ledge, free-falling with grace into the deep, dark, spiraling staircase of the library. For a fleeting moment, Sokka wonders just how huge this thing is; how many floors it has. Perhaps he’ll ask Toph later.

With the scrutinizing eye of Wan Shi Tong gone, the gang fans out across the library to look for information on the Fire Nation. With no apparent kind of organizational system to tell him what types of books are stacked where, Sokka follows his instincts --questionable to others, but never steered him wrong before-- and heads off away from the others.

He’s maybe fifteen aisles down when he decides to start reading some titles, and that’s when he finds it. It’s not the knowledge on the Fire Nation that they’re looking for, such as a map or a diagram of the royal palace or whatever, but it is Fire Nation related. More precisely, it’s firebending related.

_ Memoirs of a Firebending Earthbender  _ read the title of one. Eyes wide, Sokka yanks the book off the shelf and flips it open.

_ I was born two years after the war began in a small southern Earth Kingdom town. My parents owned a shop together up until then, just a young couple trying to make an honest living and start a family. When the war began, my father was called upon to serve. Back then, we thought the war would be quick: that two nations against one couldn’t last  _ that  _ long. Sozin’s Comet was a one-time thing, and now that it had passed we were sure the Fire Nation’s defeat would be swift. _

_ I knew from a young age that our village was attacked before and could be again. As a coastal town, we were especially vulnerable. It makes me wonder why they didn’t let my father stay with a company of men right here. _

_ What I didn’t know about the previous attack on our village was that on that day, my mother was alone hiding in our shop from the raiders. Despite her best efforts, they seemed to be out to cause as much devastation as they could. They murdered, they pillaged, they destroyed entire buildings, and they-- _

_ I can’t imagine what my mother went through. I can’t imagine having to keep that pain to myself for so many years while raising a child alone. It makes me feel guilty for being such a pain in her ass. Had I known just how hard she had it, I like to think I’d have been a better daughter. _

_ But as it stands, I didn’t know until I was ten and I accidentally almost set the house on fire. The sun was setting fast, and since mother was still out, I took it upon myself as usual to light the lanterns around the house. I had to step on a stool to get one particularly tricky one, and it was in the attempt to light it that I lost my balance, fell backward, and dropped the lit candle I was using to light the rest. It immediately caught the rug on fire, then the nearby tea table. _

_ I remember crying out in panic, waving my hands and begging the fire to stop spreading as I looked about for some way to smother it. As if the fire could actually hear me, it stopped a moment later. Completely. Unnaturally. Like no fire I’d ever seen. I froze, staring at the singed carpet and partially charred table.  _

_ My mother came back to an unlit home to see me still standing there, shaking like a leaf in the wind, staring at the spot where the fire had been in terror and disbelief. That’s when she finally told me the full story about the attack on our village. _

This was it. Someone like him. The kind of person Jeong Jeong had mentioned. Of course Sokka knew he couldn’t be the only one, but he’d never had proof before. Now here it was, and even though he was only a few paragraphs in, it was already giving him so much peace of mind. But how did she handle it? Did she learn firebending? If so, who from? If not, did it drive her mad like Jeong Jeong had insinuated? He had to know.

_ A year after I learned the truth, my father came home from war. He’d been sent home after an injury that nearly took his leg. I was mending a shirt of mine when there was a knock on the door and my mother arose to answer it. I heard a scream and then sobbing, and raced to the entrance to find out what was going on. _

_ I began to ask if she was alright, but stopped as I noticed she was embracing a soldier in the doorway. I’d never met my father, but mom had told me plenty about him. It didn’t take long to realize that the soldier had to be him. I remember standing there, mouth open and unsure of what to say.  _

_ Having suddenly remembered I was there, my mom turned to me, wiping the tears from her eyes as she smiled at me. “Come and meet your father, Hui Yin.” _

_ Had he come a year or two earlier, I would have been thrilled to meet him. Instead, my heart thundered in my chest with the knowledge that I wasn’t truly his. I wondered if he would know immediately. Whether he’d accept me if he did. If he didn’t know, when would we tell him? How? What would his reaction be? _

_ The possibilities swirled in my head as I nervously stepped forward to greet him for the first time. I bowed, low and long, and gave him my brightest smile. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, father.” The words tasted wrong when I knew they were a lie. There was no honor, only shame and deceit. But I was also desperate to earn his acceptance. I didn’t want to complicate his return home for either him or my mother.  _

_ And more than anything, I wanted a father. _

_ I remember how he looked into my eyes for a long and agonizing stretch of silence. I held my breath, waiting. And then, at last, he smiled. Tears trickled down his dirty cheeks, leaving tracks. He held out his arms and I ran to him, but made sure to be mindful of his injury as I wrapped my arms around him. _

_ “She’s absolutely beautiful, Hui Lan.” _

_ That’s what he thought of me, at first. That I was beautiful. _

_ Four months later, he was out the door.  _

_ I hadn’t been trying to firebend that day, it just sort of happened. I couldn’t control it. My mother and I had agreed that I wouldn’t try to learn it as there was no one to teach me and, more importantly, we both despised the Fire Nation for obvious reasons. There was no inclination to learn about this ugly side of myself.  _

_ But despite how hard I tried, my firebending seemed determined not to be subdued. And that was how my father discovered what I was and what my mother had done. He was packing his things the very same day.  _

_ As heartbroken as it left both my mother and me, I was relieved. It had always felt wrong keeping it a secret from him. A part of me had sort of hoped he would find out. Even as he called me a bastard and my mother a liar, I felt like a mountain had been lifted off of my shoulders. _

_ To her credit, mom never blamed me. Even after I drove the love of her life out of our home. She was devastated, but she told me that regardless of how I’d been brought into the world, she would always love me. I think she was mostly disappointed that my father couldn’t see it the same way. _

_ But as the years went on, there were more and more firebending incidents. It seemed like the more I tried to bury it, the more determined it was to dig its way to the surface. People saw things and spread rumors, distrust grew among my mother’s customers and friends and everyone in town altogether. When I was 18, we moved elsewhere, but the same problems soon began to arise. In the spring of my 21st year, I finally decided to set out on a mission that my mother begged me not to take. It broke my heart to tell her I had to go, but it was something I felt I had to do. I had caused us both so much heartache and knew we couldn’t keep going on like this. My firebending wasn’t going to let us. _

_ It took months, but I made it to the Fire Nation just before winter and slipped into a quiet fishing village without incident. I got some clothes, earned a bit of money, and then headed deeper into the land of the enemy to find a master or perhaps a fire sage who would be willing to help me. I couldn’t go on living the way I had been. If I could bury the flame, I would learn to tame it. _

Sokka shuts the book and grimly re-shelves it. Hui Yin definitely understood his plight, but it seemed she only confirmed what Jeong Jeong and even Iroh said: learn to control it. Accept yourself. Do it or you’ll go mad.

“I think I’ll go look for those maps, now,” Sokka sullenly tells himself. He turns away from Hui Yin’s memoir and lets his heavy heart carry him off to another section of tomes.

* * *

An hour passes, and he’s turned up empty, although he has found a few choice poetry anthologies that he pockets in his bag. With no luck in this area of the library, Sokka heads off in the direction he saw Aang, Katara, and the professor heading off in. Perhaps they’ve found something.

Despite how large the place is, Sokka finds the others within the library rather quickly. Their voices carry in this place --  _ better watch what we say around here. If that owl finds out we’re looking for a way to stop the Fire Nation, I don’t think he’d be too pleased with us!  _ The first person he sees is the professor, who has amassed several stacks of books --  _ he’s not gonna try to carry ALL of them out of here, is he? _ \-- and is adding to another growing stack in his free arm as he plucks yet another title off one of the upper shelves with unmitigated glee. But the man’s far too engrossed in his reading to notice his arrival.

“Hey, Sokka!” Aang brightly greets him as he strolls down the shelves toward the group. The young airbender is sitting cross-legged on the floor, a small pile of books and scrolls at his side. Currently he’s unravelling a pretty old looking scroll with some wild looking illustrations. Beautiful but strange detailing of behemoth lion turtles the size of a small island. “Find anything good?”

“Nah,” he says dishearteningly. The poetry collections  _ are  _ good, but they don’t need to know about those. Poetry is his little secret. Spirits, if Katara knew she’d mock him for ages!  _ Or maybe she  _ does _ know and she only mocks you behind your back!  _ His conspiratorial side suggests.

“No luck here, either,” Katara says somewhat distractedly from where she’s leaned against one shelf and combing through a particularly thick volume. Sokka sighs, and then gives a little huff of annoyance as he sees she’s reading some book about past Avatars. 

_ Am I the  _ only  _ one who’s  _ actually  _ staying on mission here?! _

“Hey, look at these weird lion turtle things!” Aang says, holding up the sketch Sokka noticed a moment ago.

He tries his best not to verbalize his annoyance, opting for feigned nonchalance instead as he gives up on this section and moves on. “Eh, I’ve seen weirder.” 

“I believe there’s an entire wing devoted to the Fire Nation that way,” says Professor Zei, jabbing a finger to indicate the way. 

“Thanks!” As he wanders off, he hears Katara approach the airbender and mention something about being left-handed. 

_ Thanks for nothin’, guys _ .

No sooner does he say that than he nearly walks right past a section of maps. Sokka grins as he shuffles through them for a moment and then produces a map of the Fire Nation.  _ Ha! Gotcha! Finally!  _ He swiftly stuffs it into the growing collection within his bag.

He turns the corner and a gleam catches his eye. At the end of one aisle of books there’s a large pedestal that proudly displays some kind of document encased in glass. Sokka eagerly heads toward it, his Trusty Instincts in his gut telling him that this is it. He’s found what he’s looking for. 

The document contained within is a badly singed piece of parchment. “The darkest day in Fire Nation history,” he reads aloud. He blinks, eyes widening. Excitedly, he examines it for more information. When was this day, what happened, why was the document burnt?

“It’s got a date at the top, but it doesn’t say anything else,” he finds himself saying aloud. “I have to find out more.” Grabbing his machete, Sokka pries the case open with the blade and gingerly pulls the parchment out from under it. “Now, let’s see...where did the professor say that section was…” He sprints off in the direction, doubling back past the others and down to the left and down a hall that leads him past the main stairwell.

“Where are you going?” the others call, following after him.

“I have to find out what happened on the darkest day! This could be promising!” he shouts back.

“Darkest day? What’s he talking about?” he hears Katara say.

“Don’t ask me,” Aang says, equally confused.

“All the information on the fire nation is right here--” he says, nearly bursting with anticipation. Finally, he was going to get a step ahead of those bastards! If he can bring these plans to the Earth King, to his father and the leaders of the Northern Water Tribe...well, not only would it defeat the Fire Lord and end this war, but there would be no denying Sokka was a true Southern Water Tribe warrior. What better way to prove his mettle than to be the one to provide the key to ending this war? Perhaps then he could tell his dad what he was and he wouldn’t care. Perhaps then he could finally feel certain where he belonged.

But as they come upon the entrance to the wing, they find nothing but ashes and rubble. 

“Firebenders,” Aang concludes rather unnecessarily.

“They destroyed everything having to do with the Fire Nation,” Katara adds, also rather unnecessarily.

Sokka heart sinks. And then a rage swells up inside him that causes him to cry out, “That’s so unfair! Just when I think I’m one step ahead of them, it turns out they beat us here a long time ago!” He sinks to the floor, clenching his fists and pounding them on the cold stone floor. Dare he think it, but he feels hopeless. Like there’s nothing he can do to stop this war and nothing he can do to prove himself. This was meant to be his chance! Aang, Katara, and Toph were all doing their part to bring about the end of the war, and here Sokka was, doing nothing and knowing that deep down, he had the blood of the enemy within him. It made him angry and sick to think he was just along for the ride. 

This was meant to be his  _ chance,  _ dammit! His chance to fix everything.

“Sokka,” Katara quietly says from behind. Without turning to look, he can see the exact expression on her face in his mind. The big, concerned eyes. The look of shock at his outburst. The way she clutches her hands and holds them to her chest as she hopes she can find a way to help him through whatever it is he’s feeling.

She doesn’t get it. She thinks she does, but she hasn’t a clue.

“You don’t get it,” he mutters. “I  _ need  _ to know.” Despite this devastating setback, Sokka  _ knows _ , now more than before, that whatever happened on the darkest day is vital to their cause. “It’s the key to stopping this war, I know it.”

“Maybe there’s something else. Or maybe there’s a...copy or something stored elsewhere inside here? I mean, this place is huge,” Katara says.

Sokka shakes his head. He doubts it. He’s ready to call it quits and tell them all that they can leave when he hears the light patter of feet approaching from behind. That’s when he remembers the “foxy helpers” Zei described. He turns his head and, sure enough, there’s one of the foxes in the flesh, eying him curiously. It doesn’t talk, but somehow it conveys its desire to help so clearly that it doesn’t need to. This and the fact that it’s standing on its haunches like a human makes it spooky. Seriously spooky.

“Hey, there, little weird fox guy…” 

The fox makes a little noise -- an admittedly very cute noise -- and falls back onto all fours. Turning about, it faces the opposite direction, lifting a paw almost as if to indicate the direction they should be going in.

“I think it’s trying to assist you,” Professor Zei says. 

Yeah, of course. That’s completely natural. 

“Um, sure…” Sokka awkwardly agrees. “I guess I’ll follow you.”

The thing moves fast, and if Sokka weren’t as equally energized by the renewed possibility of unraveling the mystery behind the Darkest Day, he’d ask the fox to slow down. It takes them for quite a trek, back past the staircase and down a hall that remarkably is not covered in shelves of books.

At the end of the long hall, there’s a giant golden door. It’s detailed to look like a flower, or maybe a sun. Regardless, it’s sealed shut with no visible way to possibly access it --  _ who makes a door like that and doesn’t provide a way in?  _ The fox disappears through a small fox-sized hole to the right, making him wonder exactly how the thing thinks it’s helping by leaving them in front of an inaccessible giant door.

“Hey, wait--” Sokka starts, but then the gate begins to slide open, revealing the fox waiting inside. “Oh, never mind,” he sheepishly finishes.

Katara gives him another Look as she walks past him and into the room. If Sokka thought the door was big, well...the room is  _ enormous _ . Even in the dark, he can see that it’s circular, with a high dome-shaped ceiling. There’s a round table in the center, but it’s hard to make out what it’s for or what it looks like until the fox pushes a lever located beside it.

His jaw drops in amazement as the ceiling begins to rotate, revealing a starry night sky which gradually gives way to a clear, bright day. Now able to see, Sokka steps up to the table at the center and sees that it’s an enormous dial with dates engraved in the stone.

“It’s a planetarium!” Professor Zei breathes in wondrous delight. He immediately begins to inspect the dial and the space around it, trying to determine how it works. Sokka won’t lie, he’s also intrigued as someone who likes to tinker himself, but right now his attention is focused on finding out about the Darkest Day. 

“Okay, this is beautiful, but...how is a  _ planetarium _ supposed to help us find out about the Darkest Day?” he asks.

“That parchment you took--”

“Shhhh!” Sokka hisses, putting his finger to his mouth and looming over her. He lowers his voice, cupping a hand around her ear and leaning in close. “Not in front of the fox! He’s with the  _ owl _ ,” he whispers conspiratorially. 

Despite his effort not to be overheard, it seems the fox has still manages to hear what he says. He whines, bowing his head and looking rather pitiful. Sokka frowns. Great, now he feels guilty for hurting a spirit fox’s feelings.

Katara gives him a shove, followed by yet another Look --yikes, he’s really racking those up today, isn’t he?-- and continues. “Try entering in the date on it and let’s see what happens.”

Sokka shrugs. Well, can’t hurt. He pulls out and unfurls the paper. He studies the dials carefully, then begins to move them around until he’s copied the date from the parchment. “Come on, gimme something I can work with here,” Sokka urges the device as he pushes the lever. The artificial sky above begins to turn from day to night to day again, and then…

It’s showing daytime, but the light in the room has dimmed.

“Sokka, did you just break it? Oh man, the spirit’s not gonna like that!” Aang frets, clutching his shiny, bald head.

“It’s not broken!” Sokka says, giving Aang an annoyed look. “Look, the sun is behind the moon.” He points to the sun and moon dials above. The moon dial is directly in front of the sun dial. “It’s a solar eclipse!” he announces excitedly. “It’s literally the darkest day in Fire Nation history! Now I get it!” He turns to Aang, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him excitedly. “Something awful happened on that day, and I dunno what, but I do know why: firebenders lose their bending during a solar eclipse!” he cries, continuing to shake Aang until he accidentally rattles the airbender too hard and sends him careening backward, nearly losing his balance. 

As Aang catches his balance, Sokka looks at him apologetically. “Sorry!”

* * *

Naturally, not a moment after they uncovered this information, Wan Shi Tong appeared. Furious about them using him and his library for what he considered to be dishonest and violent means, he decided to take back his library.

And of course, since nothing can ever be easy in their lives, he deems that they have learned too much to leave the library at all. 

That’s how they find themselves running --Spirits, do they do a lot of running!-- through the now sinking library as the sand reclaims it once more. The owl soars through the halls after them, Aang doing his best to slow the spirit down so they can make it out.

They’ve passed by the main staircase once more when Sokka realizes something and stops.

“What are you doing? Let’s go!” Katara asks.

“We still don’t know when the next eclipse is gonna happen!”

“Don’t be stupid, we can find out later!”

“No, we won’t,” he argues. “If we leave this place now, we’ll never get this information. What the Fire Nation did to this place already is proof of that.” His attention turns to Aang. “Come with me to the planetarium. I need cover.” The airbender unquestionably trots over to his side. “Katara, take Momo and get out of here!”

“But--” Before she can further argue with him, Wan Shi Tong crashes through the walls, cutting them off from each other.

“GO!” Sokka screams.

“Hurry, Sokka!” she calls back to him, even as she flees with the professor. 

* * *

When he and Aang make it to the planetarium once more, Sokka frantically begins turning the dials as he explains why they’re even back here to begin with to a confused and worried Aang.

“If it can tell us about eclipses in the past, maybe it can tell us about ones in the future, too!”

“You can’t possibly check every single date!”

“We don’t have to,” Sokka says, grunting as he shifts the dials around. “We just have to check every date before Sozin’s Comet arrives. Because after that…” Sokka splays his palms out on the dials, pausing to consider his work so far. He glances back over his shoulder at Aang. “Well, try not to think about that.” He shivers at the implications behind his words and realizes that if there isn’t an eclipse before the comet, then there goes their best chance at bringing down the Fire Lord.

They begin working through the dates, checking at least a dozen different ones.

“Come on, eclipse…” Aang pleads as he cranks the lever yet again. 

Sokka watches the artificial sky anxiously, watching the sun and moon dials move across it. Slowly, his expression morphs into one of joyous surprise as the sun dial stops and the moon dial overtakes it. The room darkens, showing an overshadowed daylit sky just like before.

“That’s it!” Sokka jumps up into the air in excitement, punching his fist. “The solar eclipse is just a few months away.” He scribbles the date down onto a sheet of paper and tucks it into his bag. “Now let’s get to Ba Sing Se!” With that, they sprint off back to the rope they entered the library from. Sokka hopes Katara’s made it out by now.

Aaaaand not quite. They round a corner and enter a hall with a view of the many levels down below and above, and Sokka sees her. She’s standing right in front of the rope, but Wan Shi Tong has her pinned to the spot, unable to climb the rope and leave.

The pair look out at Katara, taking a stance and ready to face down the knowledge spirit. The odds aren’t looking good for her as the owl tells her her waterbending is no match for him. “Aang, can I hitch a ride on your glider?”

“You got it, Sokka.” The Avatar taps his glider on the floor and it unfurls. Sokka takes that moment to grab a nearby heavy tome before grabbing on.

“Circle above him and I’ll drop down and hopefully knock him out,” he instructs as they take off into the air.

“Hopefully?” 

“Uh, yeah. Best plan I got right now,” Sokka says with a shrug. If Aang has any further objections, there’s no time for them, as they find themselves precisely where Sokka instructed not a second later.

“I’ve studied Northern Water Style, Southern Water Style, even Foggy Swamp Style,” Wan Shi Tong tells her, raising his wings in preparation for what looks like a very powerful attack. 

As Aang whizzes just over the owl’s head, Sokka releases his grip on the glider and lets himself fall. He raises the heavy book above his head and then cracks it down over the Wan Shi Tong’s head as he lands on top of him with a grunt.

Wan Shi Tong collapses, and Sokka slides off of his feathery head --which is quite soft, he’s gotta say. Man, if he could make a sleeping bag out of that, he’d sleep like a baby for the rest of his days.

“That’s called Sokka style!” he triumphantly declares, turning to face the downed knowledge spirit. “ _Learn_ it!”

And okay, so maybe it only  _ stuns  _ the thing, but it buys them enough time to escape. Of course, stopping to inquire after the professor gives Wan Shi Tong enough time to recover and once again try to steal them away from the exit and have them die down here with him. Nevertheless, they make it out with the help of Aang’s glider when Wan Shi Tong snatches the rope from them.

A moment later, the heat of the sun and the warm, shifting sands greet them. Sokka’s momentarily blinded by the light, but his eyes adjust just in time to see the final turret of the great library be swallowed up by the sand.

The great library of Wan Shi Tong is gone, and no one else will ever step foot within its halls again. Sokka feels the weight of that knowledge upon him, only to be overtaken by the realization that Professor Zei is gone, too. He wants to say it was stupid of him to stay and die among the knowledge he’s sought almost his entire life, but...well, it’s not kind to speak ill of the dead.

But he remembers the knowledge that they’ve gained from this whole experience: the date of the next solar eclipse. He smiles, turning to Katara and wrapping his arms around her.

“We got it! There’s a solar eclipse coming! The Fire Nation’s in trouble now!”

They don’t get long to enjoy their victory, though. Sokka steps away from his sister and looks about for Appa, eager to get to Ba Sing Se with the news. The giant sky bison is nowhere to be seen.

He looks over to Toph, who sits on the sand cradling her head, facing the pit where the library’s turret once poked out of the earth.  _ Oh, no. _

“Where’s Appa?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what'd you think of Hui Lan, Hui Yin, and her memoirs from the early years of the war? Also, I hope you liked how I expanded on what was going on in Sokka's head with trying to find the information about the Darkest Day. I felt like it was a perfect opportunity to expand on a moment that was already so emotionally charged for Sokka and to make it more so. Let me know in the comments!
> 
> Also: I named the book "Memoirs of a Firebending Earthbender" because 1. I suck at titles and 2. It's an eye grabber. I'd like to the Hui Yin in her later years would know how to grab a reader's attention XD. Obviously she can't bend both elements, so it's just an attention-getter title.
> 
> Thanks as always!


	7. The Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Worried about what he might've said or done out in the desert while high on cactus juice, Sokka asks Toph to recount events for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I hesitated posting this chapter because I've been lacking some motivation writing some later chapters and wanted to give myself a little time. I think I've got my groove back, but regardless, I wanted to try to remain consistent with the release of chapters.
> 
> This one I'm rather worried about, as it's a bit of a deviation from the format of previous chapters. You'll see what I mean. I was also trying to be very careful writing Toph, so I hope I did her justice cause I love her. And I love her interactions with Sokka but also wanted this one to be more fleshed out since I think the show lacked that a bit for them.

Two days after they leave the Si Wong Desert behind, Sokka’s pouring over the maps he took from the spirit library trying to determine a route for them to take. He measures out distances as best he can without the proper tools, considers rations and supplies, the safety risks...it’s a whole endeavor. But he takes pride in doing it and knowing he’s doing his part in ending the war.

“So, Sparkles, how’s the map stuff goin’?”

Sokka looks up from his work to see Toph plopping down beside him with an apple in hand. She takes a hearty bite out of it as she awaits his response.

He raises an eyebrow at her. “Sparkles?” The nickname is new, and it’s not one he understands in the slightest.

“It’s the new name I came up with for you after the Cactus Juice Incident.”

Ah, yes. The Cactus Juice Incident. Sokka doesn’t really remember much of it. What he does remember he’s not sure he can trust. He was seeing and hearing all sorts of things. But they’ve been too busy getting out of the desert, trying to cope over the loss of Appa, and figuring out where to go from here to get to Ba Sing Se that they’ve had little time to talk about what happened out there.

But even with the added context, Sokka’s still lost. “Yeah, still lost here.”

Toph chuckles. “You don’t remember? Wicked.” She sounds far too delighted. Sokka narrows his eyes in annoyance. He knows Toph can’t see the look on his face, but hopefully she can feel the heat of his glare. Perhaps she does, because she finally decides to elaborate for him. “While you were high as a cloud on that stuff, you kept thinking you were a firebender,” she says with amusement. “‘Hey, who lit Toph on fire? Oh no, was it  _ ME?! _ ’” she says, giving her best but very poor imitation of him. She breaks down into a fit of laughter while Sokka just stares at her, blood running cold and heart beginning to race.

“I what?”

She launches back into more imitations of him, making ridiculous and extremely exaggerated gestures. “ _ Friendly mushroom!”  _ she says, flailing her arms in the air. She tries to maintain her Sokka impression, but fails miserably as she dissolves into laughter yet again. 

Oh, yeah he remembers that part...not his proudest moment. 

“‘ _ Don’t worry, Toph, I’ll save you from the circle birds! Firebending SLICE!’”  _ Toph raises one hand and makes a vertical cutting motion with her hand. “What a riot!” she says, clutching her stomach and giggling.

“Toph--” He winces, hearing his voice crack. He clears his throat and tries again. “Toph, can you tell me what happened out there? I don’t remember...well, any of it, really. What I do remember, I don’t think I can trust.”

She sobers up, nodding. “No need to get all uppity on me, Sokka. That’s Katara’s job,” she adds, jabbing a finger at his chest. “Sure, I can tell ya. It was only a little embarrassing, though, if that’s what you’re so worked up about. I might tease ya for a couple of weeks --no, maybe months-- but I’ll eventually let you live it down.”

It’s an attempt to calm him down after noting his heart rate, he knows that, but it doesn’t make Sokka feel any less worried. He’s terrified now that he’s let his secret slip or worse, actually firebended in front of them all. What if they’ve known since then and been acting like everything is fine while they secretly discuss what to do with him?

Thankfully, Toph is chalking it up to embarrassment. There’s a good chance that she and the others think it’s nothing more than hallucinogenic ramblings, but he has to know for sure what all happened.

“Fair warning: I’m not the best storyteller.”

“Just try your best. It would help a lot.”

“Sure, Sparkles. I gotcha.”

“I just hate having missing time like that,” Sokka needlessly explains. He knows she doesn’t much care about the reason, but he feels the need to say it anyway.

She makes no comment about it, instead asking him to indicate where she should start in her retelling of the events in the desert. “Well, almost immediately after drinking that stuff, you went crazy. I think you were wiggling around on the sand, but I’m not sure because sand sucks.”

“Right, not good for seeing. Too...shifty, I think was the word you used?”

“Yeah.”

“Katara mentioned I kept trying to get you guys to drink it, too,” Sokka says, unsure.

“Mmhmm. Tried real hard, but Katara was  _ not  _ havin’ it. You wouldn’t stop saying how ‘quenchy’ it was,” she adds, making a face of disgust at the word. “She took it from you and that’s when you asked who lit me on fire.”

“Who lit you on fire?” he repeats, brows lifting.

She makes a sound in the affirmative. “You started freaking out, asking if it was you. You kept saying sorry and stuff, like how it was an accident and you’re still learning to control your ‘bending,’” she says, making air quotes. “Katara told you to calm down, but you kept going until she reminded you we needed to find Aang and get out of there.”

“I  _ actually  _ said that?”

“Right? You, a bender? Now  _ that  _ I’d like to see!” she says with a loud, hearty laugh.

Sokka laughs nervously along with her. He watches his words carefully, knowing Toph can sense a lie if he tells one. “Yeah, well, keep holding your breath,” he says, trying to sound aloof but feeling like he’s failed entirely.

“Wait, it gets better,” Toph says with an evil grin and a delighted twinkle in her pale jade eyes. “So we’re trekking through the desert, Katara dragging you along, when she notices something off in the distance and is stupid asks if anyone else saw it. I mean, you were high and I’m blind, so I don’t know who she expected to answer.”

“Please tell me I didn’t say something else about firebending.”

“You didn’t. Apparently there was some huge dust cloud which turned out to be Aang’s doing, and you thought it was a giant mushroom. You started worshipping it.” Toph smirks.

His anxiety slowly dissipates, humiliation swiftly rising to take its place. “Oh, I think I do remember that…” 

“After Katara got us moving and your mushroom disappeared, you were quiet for a while. Then Aang came back, you collapsed in the sand with Momo, Katara gave a hope speech, and then she got us all to hold hands and start walking again,” Toph says, waving her hand carelessly as she recounts this leg of the journey, sounding bored.

Sokka scrunches his face, thinking hard. It sounds familiar. Very vaguely familiar. “We walked until the sun came up, didn’t we?”

Toph nods. “We decided to travel at night when it was cool, so yeah. We drank some gross bending water, Aang moped some more about Appa, and Katara made an actual plan on how to get out of the desert. You were as tired as the rest of us by then, I guess, or the cactus juice was wearing off, so you were pretty calm. I dunno, I have no idea how drugs work.” She says with a shrug.

“I woke up buried in sand, I think.” At the time, he thought it was a warm but sorta itchy blanket that he had pulled away when Katara nudged him awake. 

“Oh, yeah, Momo buried you in it while you were asleep.”

“And I thought we were friends,” Sokka hisses, shooting a glare over at the flying lemur where he lay curled up on Aang’s sleep sack nearby. Seeming to have sensed he’s being talked about, Momo lazily blinks his eyes open and raises his head, looking over at the pair of them questioningly. “I got my eyes on you, Momo.” Sokka takes two fingers, pointing them to his own eyes and then to the lemur’s. Momo makes a confused sound, blinks, then puts his head back down and returns to dozing.  _ I think he got the message, _ he assures himself as he turns back to Toph.

The earthbender raises a brow as if to say, ‘ _ Are you seriously threatening a lemur? _ ’ but the next words out of her mouth are actually, “Not long after we started walking again, Aang thought he saw Appa --which turned out to be a cloud, I guess?” she shrugs. “Honestly, if eyes are that unreliable, I’m  _ glad  _ mine don’t work!”

“What, and your feet don’t make mistakes?” Sokka retorts.

“No,” Toph flatly replies. Sokka deflates. “Do you wanna know the rest of the story or what?” 

He waves a hand, indicating for her to continue. “Sorry.” He’s not sorry. 

“As I was saying,” she says sharply, “Aang thought he saw Appa and got all excited, and you started prattling on about somebody named Yue and the moon.”

There’s a pang in his chest, the one he always gets whenever Yue’s mentioned or she comes across his mind. 

Toph pauses. “She was important to you.” Her tone isn’t amused or mocking. It holds nothing but genuine empathy. Once again in the short time he’s known her, Sokka is surprised by her keen perception. She really does “see” things others don’t. Sokka adds another notch to the tally he keeps in his head of how many times she’s done so.

“Yeah,” he quietly admits. “She was my first girlfriend. She gave up her life to save the life of the moon spirit.”

“So  _ that’s _ why you said she was the moon. It wasn’t just cactus juice-related nonsense.”

“Not all of it, no.” The ground has become quite fascinating now.

A surprisingly gentle touch by a calloused hand on his shoulder startles him. “I’m sorry,” Toph says in the softest tone he’s ever heard from her.

Sokka’s mind flashes back to the swamp and the image of Yue, ethereal and glinting in the beams of sunlight coming through the trees with her blue and white robes flowing about her. “Me, too.”

Never one to linger on ‘mushy’ feelings, Toph quickly moves on. “So you guys thought you saw Appa but it was actually a cloud,” she says, shrugging to indicate how wild this still seemed to her to mistake a  _ cloud  _ for a living, breathing,  _ giant  _ flying bison. “And that’s when Katara realized she could get Aang to fly up and bend the water out of the cloud for us. So Aang did that and we started moving again. Only for me to stub my toe and fall over not a minute later on that sandbender glider.”

Sokka distantly remembers ‘sailing’ and feeling the wind on his face. And holding Momo by the tail like a paper streamer at a festival... “So  _ that’s _ what that breeze was. We  _ did _ go sailing!” he proclaims excitedly, some fuzzy pieces of the puzzle starting to make some sense at last. 

Toph sighs, exasperated. “Yeah, idiot, we did go sailing. Kinda. But it’s as close as I ever wanna get. I  _ hate _ water.”

“I think the breeze helped clear my head some because I remember landing on a rock next.”

“Yep. You said you might finally be coming down from the cactus juice. And then, being the idiot you are, you went and licked the stuff on the cave wall.”

Sokka’s face sours, remembering  _ that _ taste quite clearly. “It tasted like rotten penguin meat,” he recalls, making a gagging noise.

“It’s a  _ miracle  _ your stupidity hasn’t killed you yet,” Toph deadpans. “But it did help me realize that it wasn’t just any old cave and give us a heads up that those buzzard wasps were coming for us.”

“Oh, I remember those!”

“Your crazy, hallucinating butt almost got itself killed several times because you kept trying to use firebending to take out the wasps.”

Sokka smacks himself in the forehead. He figures it’s gotta be a nice subtle shade of red now. Toph may not be able to see the smarting palm-shaped mark on his forehead, but she definitely hears the smack and knows the sound well. She barks out a laugh. “You alternated between using your machete and your ‘firebending’ to fight them off. When you put away your machete you’d go, ‘firebending BLAST’ and then put your hands like this” --she demonstrates-- “thinking you were actually doing something.”

“But...nothing actually happened?” Sokka nervously asks.

“Nothing aside from nearly getting yourself and me killed! A couple times you tried to fight buzzard wasps that weren’t even there. You were just hallucinating.” Can he go back into the desert and bury himself in the sand now? “That’s when Katara came around and helped guide me where to aim with my earthbending to  _ actually  _ take the things out.”

Oh, thank the spirits. So he didn’t accidentally firebend in front of them! 

“I got a question, though.”  _ Oh, no. _ “Why a firebender?” Toph asks, curious and amused.

“Huh?” His heart sounds ready to grab its things and make a run for it. Sokka vainly tries to make it calm down.

“Why imagine being a firebender and not a waterbender? Y’know, like the people of your tribe.”

Yeah, nope, his heart is definitely not gonna listen to him now.  _ But hey, no need to think that deeply about it! _ He tells himself.  _ Just wave it off as part of the influence of the cactus juice! _ “I dunno. I was hallucinating! Hallucinations don’t make sense.”

Toph bobs her shoulders, dismissing the subject. “Yeah, I guess not. Just figured it was weird to wanna be a firebender even under the influence of some wacky cactus juice.”

“Definitely. I would  _ never  _ want to be a firebender! Every firebender I’ve met has been nothing but bad news.” Except Iroh. And Jeong Jeong. Sure, the guy was a jerk, but he wasn’t evil.

“Well, for some reason High Sokka wanted to be. Was kinda proud of it, even.”

He winces. Why can’t she let go of it already? “Ugh. Let’s just forget that that  _ ever  _ happened. I was nowhere in my right mind and was clearly saying and doing a lot of stupid stuff.”

“Isn’t that you 100 percent of the time, though?” 

Sokka glares at her. Again, she can’t see it, but doing so makes him feel better.

“So that’s pretty much it. I figure you sobered up pretty quickly at the end of the fight when Aang confronted those sandbenders.”

Sokka stiffens. “ _ That _ I definitely remember.” There are goosebumps on his arms. He hates seeing Aang like that. The Avatar State is a weird and frightening thing to behold. Even once Aang gets control of it, Sokka’s not sure he’ll ever  _ not  _ be unsettled by it. 

She moves on. “So does that help?” she asks, referring to her account of events.

“It does. Thanks a lot, Toph.”

“Don’t mention it,” she says with a little grin. And then she wallops him  _ hard  _ in the arm right in the bicep.

“Ow! Oh, c’mon, Toph!” He whines, rubbing the tender spot.

“Man up, would you? Besides, I told you before: it’s how I show affection.”

“Well pick a new way!” Sokka pouts as he resumes his perusal of the maps and books he got from the library.

“No way. This one suits  _ me  _ just fine. And it’ll help  _ you  _ build character.” She laughs.

_ Ugh. _ Sokka frowns. Time to put some more arm reps into his workout routines. Maybe he’ll build up his muscles enough to the point where he won’t even feel her ridiculously strong punches.

Toph huffs, rising to her feet and chucking the apple she’s long since finished off into the trees somewhere. “Guess I’ll go see if Twinkle Toes and Sugar Queen have finished their waterbending practice. It’s time to get some earthbending training in. Gotta keep it up or he’ll get soft...er.” she snickers.

He has to laugh just a little at that. The absurd nicknames. The way she picks on Aang. At least the teasing isn’t directed at him anymore. The girl is ruthless. “Don’t break him! We sorta need him to stop the Fire Lord.”

Toph waves a hand lazily over her shoulder as she begins to walk away. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll bring him back in one piece.”

She disappears between the trees, and Sokka dives back into his maps with a long sigh of relief. Finally he feels relaxed again. And so glad he didn’t accidentally expose himself as a firebender while out of his mind out in the desert.

Onward to Ba Sing Se.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a bit stuck before this chapter on where to take the story next, but then I was re-watching this episode and heard Sokka say, "Who lit Toph on fire?" and an idea was born! So I know this might've seemed like a bit of a comic relief filler to y'all, but I had fun writing it and I hope you enjoyed reading it. 
> 
> Thanks as always for your lovely reviews and all the kudos! Keep 'em coming and let me know what you think of this update! I love hearing from you guys and responding to your comments. XD


	8. Sokka's Tales of Ba Sing Se

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While exploring Ba Sing Se, Sokka stumbles across a tea shop run by a familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty excited about this chapter, but I'm also pretty nervous. I hope you guys like it! Lots of Iroh and Sokka interaction and it's pretty long, I think, especially compared to the last chapter which was a little short.
> 
> Note: I skewed the timeline of the series just a TAD so that Iroh's fancy tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon (RIP Tea Weevil), opens earlier. So it's before they find Jet and before Zuko goes through his metamorphosis.

In hindsight, Sokka figures he never should’ve held such high hopes for the Royal Library or the University of Ba Sing Se. In fact, he’d been given some pretty strong hints during the team’s search through the city for Appa that he was bound to end up empty-handed. All information about the war and the Fire Nation has been buried. Long Feng and the Dai Li’s control over the city is absolute in every way. 

It’s with a heavy heart that Sokka heads back through the Middle Ring of Ba Sing Se and back to the stuffy Upper Ring he’s quickly come to loathe. Toph was right: the rules and social etiquette are stifling. And he thought the North Pole was insufferable!

The streets are busy with many a noble traveling to dinner or social engagements, or otherwise returning home from...whatever it is nobles do all day. He swears most of them do nothing but boss people around and lay about in comfy chairs gossiping. He happens to catch an earful of such gossip as he walks past a pair of women.

“...new tea house in the eastern district, the Jasmine Dragon?”

The second woman seems alarmed. “New tea house? When did it open?”

“Why just this week! Have you really not been yet?” there’s a tinge of judgement in the first woman’s voice, like the other woman has committed some kind of social gaffe. Seriously? Not even a week since the place opened and this lady was already judging her friend?

The second inhales sharply, scandalized, as she picks up on her meaning. “My, how one misses so much when she goes away for a few days to visit family in the country!”

The first woman lays a hand on the other’s arm apologetically. “Ah, I quite forgot that you were visiting family, Ming! Well, let me introduce you to this wonderful establishment tomorrow. It is without a doubt the finest tea in all of Ba Sing Se! It’d be my pleasure to take you.”

The other smiles, looking relieved. “Perfect! Oh, thank you, Zhu!” She places her hand atop Zhu’s. 

“It’s no trouble at all, I daresay it is my new goal in life to introduce all I know to this tea house,” says Zhu, giving her friend’s arm a squeeze.

“Well I certainly look forward to visiting a place which stirs such loyalty so fast in you, Zhu!” Ming answers teasingly. The two share a laugh, and it is the last of their conversation Sokka hears before their voices fade into the buzz of the crowd around them.

Normally, he would dismiss this kind of pointless chatter, but he realizes as soon as they’re out of earshot that a nice cup of tea sounds like a great idea right about now. And so he makes his way to the eastern district where the ladies mentioned this new, apparently popular tea house is situated.

The Jasmine Dragon is hard to miss. It’s a brand new building, beautifully trimmed with gold and decorated with flower wreaths outside to celebrate its opening. There’s at least a dozen of them, which belays just how popular it must be with the people of the Upper Ring.

It’s not as busy as Sokka thought it would be. Perhaps he’s come at a slower business hour, which is all good with him. He hates crowds.

Somehow, the place just radiates calm despite the sizable crowd inside. Sokka finds an empty seat by the counter in a cozy little corner and takes a seat. He sighs as his tired feet finally get the chance to relax.

“What can I get you?” asks a young man from above, and Sokka startles a little, looking up to find a young man with an apron on ready to take his order.  _ Well that was fast! _

He pauses, realizing he doesn’t even know what they serve. “I uh...what do you recommend?”

“Our signature tea is jasmine.”

“Sure, that sounds great.”

The young man smiles politely. “I’ll be right back with your drink, sir.” 

As the server retreats to retrieve his tea, Sokka slinks back in his chair and takes the time to appraise his surroundings. 

Being new, the Jasmine Dragon doesn’t have a great deal of decor. Not anything personal to the owner, anyway. The strong herbal smell of the tea, however, gives it a warm and inviting atmosphere that makes Sokka feel oddly at home. Beyond that, there’s something about it that strikes him as familiar. He hasn’t a clue what it is until he hears a sharp voice cut through the thrum of conversation.

“Uncle! We need more matcha!”

Sokka freezes, blood running cold. No way. No  _ way _ . It  _ can’t be… _

The unmistakable gravelly voice of General Iroh responds. “Already? I swear I just brewed a fresh batch…”

“Well, I’m telling you we’re out!” Zuko. Without a doubt.

Sokka sinks into his chair, heart racing. He takes his due moment to freak out silently, then scouts the room to see where Zuko and his uncle are in the shop so he can plan his exit strategy.

“One cup of jasmine tea--”

Sokka startles.  _ Hard.  _ He nearly knocks the fresh cup of tea out of the young server’s hands. Despite the shock, he manages to contain the accompanying scream so it comes out as nothing more than a long, hoarse whisper. Totally dignified. The server looks at him in utter concern and confusion. “Uh, thanks, but I think I uh...my stomach...not feel good...gotta go…” he stammers, getting up from his seat and grabbing his bag as the server stands there, unsure of how to proceed.

“Cheng, is everything alrig--” Iroh appears behind the server, looking concerned. He halts in his tracks as he catches sight of Sokka, eyes widening in recognition. “Let me take care of this customer. Why don’t you take care of Mrs. Yang.” Iroh pats the boy on the shoulder, dismissing him. Cheng leaves, glancing back curiously at the scene he’s leaving one last time.

“I need to get outta here--” Sokka starts as Iroh comes toward him.

“Wait just a moment, my friend, there is no need for alarm!” Iroh pleads, holding up his hands.

“No need for--?!” Sokka sputters. “Your  _ nephew _ , the guy who is  _ hunting _ me and my friends, is right there!” He hisses, pointing in the general direction of where he last saw Zuko, but the banished prince is nowhere to be seen.

Iroh slowly reaches out, wraps an arm around him, and pulls him close so they’re shoulder to shoulder as he guides them away from Sokka’s table. “He is in the back brewing more matcha. You needn’t worry about him.”

Sokka opens his mouth to protest, but Iroh raises a finger to his lips to indicate he stay quiet. He’s not sure why, but he complies. Iroh secrets him away outside just beyond the entrance to the shop.

“I promise I will not let him see you.”

Seriously, he doesn’t get why since he hardly knows the man, but Sokka believes him. 

“My nephew is...not good at making tea,” Iroh tells him. He raises a brow, wondering why Iroh’s telling him this. “At all,” the old man emphasizes, giving Sokka a very serious yet comical look that makes him chuckle in spite of himself. “But he is surprisingly good at making matcha. His tutors back in the Fire Nation made him practice for tea ceremonies. And--” he adds, lowering his voice conspiratorially, “it was also his mother’s favorite tea. I caught him up early in the kitchens once or twice making it for her himself. He refused to let the servants do it for him.”

Oh,  _ now _ he sees what Iroh’s doing. He’s trying to make Sokka sympathize with Prince Angry Pants. Well, either that or he’s getting anecdotal and oversharing like elderly uncles are wont to do. And Sokka hates to admit it, but regardless of whether it’s intentional or not, it works. Sokka now knows something about Zuko that isn’t related to his hunt for Aang.  _ So he’s a momma’s boy...huh.  _ With all his talk about pleasing his father, Sokka always figured Zuko was a daddy’s boy.

“I love my nephew like he’s my own, but if I am being honest, if I had to leave the shop and put someone in charge during my absence, it would be Cheng. I have only known the boy a week or so, but I know that he can handle the customers and he manages a decent brew. Zuko’s strength is not in customer service,” Iroh continues, and Sokka barks out a laugh. 

“No surprise there.”

A silent moment passes between them before Iroh breaks it. “It is good to see you again, Sokka.”

The tension in Sokka’s shoulders dissipates. “Well, I guess now that the threat of running into Zuko is gone, it’s pretty good to see you, too, Iroh.”

“And how is your newest team member? The earthbender? I never got her name.”

“Toph? She’s good.” A moment passes before a thought hits him. “Wait, how do you know her?” he asks, brows furrowed, jabbing an accusing finger at him.

“I met her while she was traveling alone. We shared a cup of tea.”

“That was right after she joined us. We were still trying to figure out how to all get along…” Looking back at it, he’s ashamed he didn’t do more to make Toph stay. He’s just glad she found her way back to them. Fate’s a funny thing to have made Iroh play a hand in her return, though.

“And now?”

Sokka smiles softly. “We made it work.”

Iroh returns the smile. “I’m glad to hear it.” Which is odd, Sokka thinks, given that he’s technically on Team Hot-Head. “Have you been doing the exercise I taught you?”

The grin disappears. Sokka rubs the back of his neck bashfully. “I um...I’ve only done it a couple times. It’s a little harder than you think to find time alone to practice.”

Iroh frowns. “That’s not the entire truth, is it?”

Damn, he’s good. “I...Every time I nearly work up the nerve to try, something happens that makes me take ten steps back.”

Iroh closes his eyes, sighing gently. “I understand.” A thought seems to come across his mind then, his thick grey brows raising. He opens his eyes. “Perhaps we could try it together.”

Sokka blinks. “What, now?” He looks around frantically at all the passersby on the street. Toward the doors of the teahouse where patrons and servers--witnesses--reside. 

“What? No, don’t be ridiculous! I mean that we could meet somewhere private. I could help you conquer that fear. I assume you and your friends will be in Ba Sing Se for a while?”

Sokka grumbles. “Yeah. We wanted to see the king, but apparently” --he shifts his voice to do his best impression of the sickeningly peppy and just-not-quite-right Joo Dee-- “‘one doesn’t just  _ pop in _ ’ on the Earth King!’” He makes a face of disgust. There’s just something completely unnatural about that woman. About this city! It goes beyond the obvious complete denial of the war at their doorstep.

Iroh has a knowing look on his face. “Bureaucracy,” he deadpans, miming being sick. Sokka supposes he has quite a bit of experience with that stuff being a royal and all.

“So, how ‘bout it?” the old man asks, hands out.

He must be crazy. No, insane! He’s lost his mind to be actually considering this. But Jeong Jeong and Hui Yin and the Cactus Juice Incident all tell him that he’s not. That he needs to do this in order to save his sanity and to keep the life he has. He doesn’t want to lose his family, his friends, or his home because he can’t control himself. 

“When do we start?”

* * *

It’s easy enough to meet with Iroh for secret lessons. Aang, Toph, and Katara often practice sparring or go exploring. The four of them are seldom ever all at home at once unless it’s for meals. They’re almost always back in time for dinner together.

The day after their run-in at the Jasmine Dragon, Sokka heads off for his first session with the legendary Dragon of the West. They’ve picked a secluded valley on the outskirts of the Upper Ring on the southwest end not far from the rail line that shuttles citizens about the enormous city.

“I hope you did not have any trouble getting here?” Iroh asks as Sokka approaches.

“No, the others were off sparring and the location wasn’t hard to find. I’ve got a talent for maps.”

Iroh looks pleased to hear it. “I’m glad. I worried that you might lose your courage and decide not to come.”

Sokka shakes his head. No, he needs this. He’s never going to find another firebender as good or as willing as Iroh is to teach him, either. “Me, too. But you might be the only chance I have at learning control so...courage or not, I have to do this.”

The old man gives a firm nod of support. “Let us not waste any time, then. Come, we will start with the breathing exercise I showed you when last we met.” He prompts Sokka to sit down across from him, legs folded, and to copy his posture. Back straight, hands on knees, eyes closed. “As you did before, mimic my breathing. Calm your mind and focus only on your breathing.”

He loses track of how long they stay like that, eyes closed and breathing deep. In and out. In and out. Finally, Iroh gently speaks up to tell him he’s ready for the next step. “Now we add the firebending. Last time, you created fire without realizing it. This time, I want you to try and create it on your own. Willfully.”

Sokka gapes at him. “How do I do that?” Whenever he’s firebended in the past it was always instinctual. Done by accident, not on purpose.

“Same way you did in the North Pole. You focus on your breathing and your intent to create a flame. Keep your mind calm.”

“Shouldn’t we do something else, first? Y’know, to like...prepare me for it?”

Iroh shakes his head. “I believe that you are ready. Have faith in yourself, Sokka. Though you continue to deny it, firebending is in your blood. It will come more naturally to you than you think.”

He gulps. Iroh’s right, of course. And hey, if he did it before then he can do it again. Right? “Okay. So...sit like this?” Sokka asks, straightening his back once more. Instead of putting his hands on his knees, he cups them together and sits them in his lap, palms up. Iroh gives an approving nod.

“But keep your eyes open this time,” he adds.

Sokka takes a deep breath and begins, staring into his palms and doing as Iroh instructs. Several minutes pass, though they seem like hours. Iroh waits with endless patience, but Sokka begins to lose his. With an annoyed sigh, he slumps his shoulders forward and drops his hands to his sides. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. What is stopping you is your fear. Do not be afraid of it. Remember what I said before: fire isn’t just destruction, it is also life.” Sokka must still look as reluctant as he feels, prompting Iroh to add, “Remember how it felt to hold a fire you made yourself. How did you feel?”

He remembers it well, despite all the events of that day. He remembers the warmth in his stomach which spread out through his limbs and out to his fingers. When he opened his eyes and saw the spark he had created himself, he hadn’t been afraid or alarmed. Sokka remembers joy and warmth. And life. 

He’d created life. 

There are a lot of terrible things about firebending, but Sokka wills himself to think of only the positive--on that little moment in the North Pole--and to forget the rest. He resets, straightening his spine and cupping his hands on his lap yet again. He sees the happy glint in Iroh’s eyes, and a feeling of pride swirls in his belly and urges him onward.

In a matter of seconds, far faster than Sokka expects, he’s done it. A small flame has burst into life in his palms. He looks up at Iroh in surprise to find the man grinning back at him. 

“Now continue the breathing exercise with your eyes open. Focus on the flame. Let it grow with every breath in through your nose. Let it shrink with every breath out through your mouth.”

He’s a little scared to try, but he steals himself and begins. With diminishing fear and growing fascination, Sokka watches the flame grow and shrink. It matches his breathing perfectly, like it’s a part of the same body. It’s like a little heart beating in time with his. It’s sort of entrancing to watch.

“Excellent,” Iroh hums approvingly from across from him. Sokka glances up and smiles, pleased to please the elderly firebender. “Careful,” he says, gentle but cautioning, as the flame sparks and wells up a bit. “Unlike other forms of bending, firebending is intricately connected to your heart, and thus your emotions. Your flame grew because you felt a surge of powerful emotion just now, but you did well in noticing this and containing the fire once more.”

“Uh, thanks,” Sokka sheepishly replies, unaware he’d done something to be applauded for.

Iroh chuckles softly, a deep and gravelly sound that Sokka is beginning to grow fond of. “I told you, you’re a quick learner.”

“So...what now?” Sokka asks, glancing between Iroh and the flame he still cradles in his palms.

“Now you put it out again. It’s just like creating the flame. Focus your breathing, calm your mind. You may want to clench your fist like this.” he demonstrates. Sokka remembers him doing this before back in the North Pole.

“Okay. I got this.” And surprisingly, he does. Within moments, Sokka has extinguished his flame. He looks up at Iroh excitedly. “I did it!”

“Continue to believe in yourself like this, and you will accomplish a great deal in what little time we have together.”

* * *

A few days later, they meet up for lessons once more. This time, Iroh begins to teach him basic forms and stances. The only time they actually firebend is during the very beginning of the session.

“Each lesson we will begin with breathing and practicing basic forms once I teach them to you.”

“So you’re saying we’ll start each session with…” he pauses for dramatic effect, barely able to contain his laughter at the punchline. “Warm-ups, right?” He bursts into a fit of goofy laughter. Iroh rolls his eyes. “Get it, because we’re firebending?”

“So this is how my nephew feels,” Iroh mutters to himself, hand to his forehead with a weary sigh.

* * *

By their fourth lesson, Sokka has most of the forms down and has even been practicing them late at night after he’s sure the others have gone to sleep. Iroh drills him on them, having him run through the steps time and time again until he’s satisfied.

“Don’t concentrate so much. Let the movements come to you,” Iroh instructs as he runs through a form for the tenth or twelfth time.

Sokka catches his breath as he finishes the movement. “Sorry. I’m used to going through forms with sword fighting and stuff, but this is totally different. My body’s not used to moving like this,” he explains.

“No need to apologize,” Iroh assures him. “It will become easier in time. And when you eventually practice these forms while actually firebending, I think they will come more naturally to you.”

“Woah, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Sokka says, holding up a hand. He’s not ready for that yet. Moving around with streams of fire unfurling around him sounds terrifying. He’s barely even ready to take a step with a flame in his hand, let alone do the fancy footwork and arm waving that these forms require.

Iroh lets out a laugh, hearty and loud, holding his belly. “Don’t worry, that is a skill we will practice much further down the road.”

Sokka breathes out a sigh of relief.

* * *

He shows up for their next lesson after helping Aang and the others distribute and post flyers throughout the city about Appa. Iroh is there waiting for him, as usual. But what’s unusual is that he doesn’t appear to be his calm, collected self. Instead, he looks like he’s been pacing, which doesn’t seem like Iroh. Upon noticing Sokka’s arrival, Iroh rushes toward him and grabs him by the shoulders.

“We cannot train today.”

“What? Why?”

Iroh frowns. He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and holds it up. “My nephew found one of your flyers about your missing bison. He knows the Avatar is somewhere in the city. It is too great a risk to continue meeting.”

Sokka’s eyes move from Iroh to the flyer and back again. “Oh, no.”

“I’m sorry, Sokka, my friend. I wish we had more time, but I do not want to let Zuko find you and your friends.”

“Yeah, you’re right. We shouldn’t keep going now that he knows we’re in town.” Sokka sighs. He’s been enjoying these lessons. Finally, he’s starting to accept that he’s a firebender. With each lesson, he feels like he’s gaining control. And most especially, he finds he really enjoys Iroh’s company. All the men of his village left when he was young. Sokka loves his father and Bato and all the others, but he’s been missing having that father figure around. For so long it’s been just him. He’s had to train himself, build the tribe’s defenses himself, and try to raise the tribe’s boys himself. Iroh is the first person in a long time to step in and fill that father figure role by teaching him. He’s not sure how he’ll move forward with his training--if he’ll be able to move forward--without him.

“I wish we had more time,” Iroh says sadly. “But you have come a long way in such a short time.” He pats Sokka on the shoulder and meets his eyes. “You should be proud, Sokka.”

A tightness in his chest forms. Sokka sucks in a breath, tries his best to collect himself, and lets it back out. He smiles. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how grateful I am--”

Iroh bats a hand in the air in dismissal. “Pah! There’s no need to thank me, my friend. You did all of the hard work yourself.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you, though,” Sokka insists. “I won’t forget that. Ever.”

“Just promise me you won’t forget your training. Practice whenever you can.”

Sokka nods. “I will. I promise.” He means it this time. Even if it’ll be difficult to find time to slip away from the group and train on his own, he’ll do it. He owes Iroh that much.

“You had better mean it,” Iroh says, voice laced with amusement. “One day, our paths will cross again and I will test you to see how much you have remembered.” He chuckles.

_ Yikes. Okay. He definitely better find time, then. _

He must have quite the look on his face in response to that, because Iroh’s quiet chuckling escalates into full-blown laughter. Iroh’s laughter is infectious, causing Sokka to soon join in.

“I’m gonna miss you,” Sokka says solemnly as their laughter fades.

“Something tells me this will not be the last we see of each other. As I said, one day our paths will cross again,” Iroh says, a knowing gleam in his eyes. Sokka wonders how he can be so certain. He sounds as certain as Aunt Wu, except he’s pretty sure Iroh doesn’t practice gimmicky fortune telling.

“I just hope it’s not as enemies.”

“Have faith, my friend.” He holds his arms out, clearly inviting him in for a hug. Sokka accepts. Iroh smells like tea (of course) and incense. It’s a humble and, ironically, earthy scent. He’s the kind of guy Sokka would have wanted his grandfather to be like if he’d ever known his grandfather. 

“You’re kinda crazy, but I hope you’re right,” he says. Iroh chuckles.

As they step away from each other, Iroh rubs his shoulder. “Take care, Sokka.”

“You, too.”

They part ways, and Sokka heads home feeling both empty and whole. Iroh and his lessons are gone, but a newfound confidence has arisen because of the old man. He feels accomplished. He feels  _ hopeful. _

Maybe, just maybe, he  _ can _ control this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple cultural notes for those interested:
> 
> 1\. So the wreaths mentioned decorating the Jasmine Dragon's entrance are a reference to a Japanese tradition where businesses display HUGE wreaths of flowers (real or fake) upon the opening or reopening of a business. They're in bright colors and are displayed on stands. They sit there for a few weeks before they're taken down.
> 
> 2\. Matcha is very famous in Japan, especially in Kyoto. It's also traditionally used in tea ceremonies. As a noble, of course Zuko would have to learn how to conduct a tea ceremony. Therefore, he'd have learned how to make matcha. So I decided to make it a personal headcanon of mine that Zuko is shit at making all types of tea except for matcha. And he'd probably hate to do it except it also happens to be his mom's favorite. I just really love the idea of little, fresh-faced baby Zuko going into the kitchens and making matcha tea for his momma while the servants are all like "let us help you, little man," and he's like, "I'm a big boy, I can do it myself! She'll know if anyone else makes it." Like he's got some "secret" trick. XD So Iroh doesn't let his nephew even touch the other teas, but he lets him make the matcha and it's kind of a small comfort for Zuko.
> 
> As usual, I hope you enjoyed! Please let me know your thoughts in the comments!


	9. The Guru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to a recently discovered dispatch Long Feng had withheld from the group and to his sister's kindness, Sokka finally reunites with his father at Chameleon Bay, not far from Ba Sing Se. But how will this long-awaited reunion go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never gonna stop saying thank you for all of your fantastic, wonderful, kind reviews! You guys really make my week.
> 
> This chapter is another one I'm a little nervous about but also excited about. I hope you like it!

Even as he and Aang spot the Southern Water Tribe camp below, Sokka still can’t believe he’s going to see his father again for the first time in over two years. Will he recognize Sokka? Will he be proud of how he’s grown? Or will he suddenly see something that belies the truth: that Sokka isn’t really his.

As they touch down, worst scenarios swirling around his head, Sokka’s disbelief sours into nervousness and fear.

“You haven’t seen your father in over two years. You must be so excited!” Aang says from beside him.

Sokka clutches his stomach, feeling his meager breakfast coming back up again.  _ Don’t you dare. Pull yourself together!  _ “I know I should be,” he says shakily, “but I just feel sick to my stomach.”

“Don’t be nervous!” Aang reassures him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “He’s going to be  _ so _ happy to see you!” He gives Sokka a bright smile, which he weakly manages to return.

“Thanks. So, uh, what about you?” he asks, because he’s genuinely interested but also because he wants to distract himself from the reunion that’s about to occur and the circus act his stomach is currently performing. “Are you nervous to meet this guru?”

“Not at all. I’m ready to master the Avatar State,” he says, determined. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“You’ve got this,” Sokka tells him, although it sounds like Aang doesn’t really need the encouragement. He should save it for himself. “Good luck.” He gives his friend a pat on the back and grabs his bag. He hops off of Appa and onto the soft sand below.

“See you in a week!” They wave to each other, and then Aang shakes the reigns and signals Appa to take off. Sokka watches them fly off into the distance until they’re nothing more than a speck across the open sky.

Taking a deep breath, he slings his bag over his shoulder and walks toward the camp, steeling himself.

With trepidation, he takes his first few steps into camp. The men --real, grown men that leave him feeling a little cowed, realizing he’s so close and yet so far from really being one of them-- eye him silently as he walks past. His heart is thumping in his chest like a war drum, and he doesn’t realize he’s holding his breath until one of the men finally acknowledges him.

“Sokka!” He whips his head to face the voice that’s suddenly calling out to him. Nanuq. He was the one who taught him knots. He was the best fisherman in the village, too. “Good to see you!” he says, wrapping his arm around Sokka’s neck and pulling him in. He ruffles his hair a bit, laughing at Sokka as he squirms until Nanuq releases him. “By Kuruk, you’ve grown!” He gives him a hearty pat on the back, sending him on his way down the line of men that have gathered on either side of him to greet him.

As he passes them by, the men give him waves and smiles, welcoming words, and a few teasing remarks. At last, he makes it to the center of the camp and the men part, quieting down, as Sokka finally eyes the main tent: his father’s tent.

“Go on, kid, he’s right inside,” one of the older men, Kanaaq, says as he pushes Sokka along. He didn’t realize he’d stopped mid-stride.

His heart’s thundering in his chest now. He can hear it pulsing in his ears.  _ Here it is. The moment of truth. _

He pulls aside the tarp covering the entrance of the tent and steps inside. Men form a semi-circle around a large map, hunched over and studying a southern section of the Earth Kingdom not far from where they’re located right now. They’re planning an attack. There’s an intense, hushed discussion going on that stops as everyone looks up to see who has entered the tent.

Bato meets his eyes and smiles. And then his father locks eyes with him, as well.

“Sokka.” He sounds breathless. There’s a glimmer in his eyes, like he’s trying to stop himself from welling up with emotion. Sokka finds himself blinking back tears. 

“Hi, dad,” he says, voice cracking in spite of his best efforts to sound as manly as possible. But he finds he doesn’t really care.

Hakoda closes the distance between them swiftly and the next thing Sokka knows, he’s wrapped up in his father’s arms. “I’ve missed you  _ so _ much, my son.” Sokka tightens his hold on him and buries his face in his father’s tunic, taking in the smell of him and the warmth of his body. They stand there like that for a long moment, not caring at all about the men around them. Not like they’d judge either of them in the slightest. They know how hard it’s been. What Sokka has had to do--to  _ become _ \-- in their absence.

At last, his father quietly tells him, “Let’s go somewhere a little more private. I think we’ve got some catching up to do.” Unable to help the stupid grin on his face, Sokka detaches himself and nods. His father wraps an arm around his shoulder and escorts him out of the tent.

They walk along the shoreline for a bit before finally settling down on a nearby huddle of rocks. Sokka’s just staring at him, almost wondrously. 

“Bato tells me you’ve been travelling with the Avatar.”

Sokka shakes himself out of his awe-struck stupor. “Yeah, we met him back at the North Pole. We were out ice fishing and found him in a block of ice.”

“A block of ice?” Hakoda raises a brow in disbelief.

Sokka chuckles. “He’d been frozen in there for 100 years. The Fire Nation prince, Zuko, saw the weird spirit-y beam of light that came out when we freed Aang from the ice and came to the village to find him. Aang helped us protect it, and once the village was safe again we decided to help him get to the Southern Water Tribe to find a waterbending master.”

“Who did you find?”

“Well, we thought it would be Master Pakku--”

“Pakku? That name sounds familiar…”

“That’s because he was once betrothed to Gran Gran,” Sokka explains. “We didn’t know until Katara challenged him to a fight when he refused to teach her waterbending--”

“Wait, what?” Hakoda blinks, eyes wide. “She challenged a waterbending master?”

“And she nearly won,” Sokka says proudly. “Pakku kinda beat her in the end, but he saw her necklace and recognized it. That’s when he agreed to teach her.”

“So she and the Avatar trained under this Master Pakku together? Katara. Learning alongside the Avatar…” he muses aloud, practically oozing with pride.

Sokka laughs. “Well, not quite. After a few lessons, Katara became his best student and learned pretty much everything Pakku had to teach her. He passed Aang’s training off to her. Pakku wasn’t having a lot of luck teaching Aang, anyway.”

“Wait, so your  _ sister’s _ the Avatar’s waterbending master?”

The look on his father’s face is priceless. Sokka wishes he could capture it with ink and paper and bring it back for Katara to see. “Yeah. And he’s totally in love with her, too. It’s nauseating,” he adds, rolling his eyes.

“Incredible,” Hakoda breathes. “And I heard there was a battle at the North Pole.”

Sokka flinches.  _ Abort mission! Abort! Abort!  _ “There was.”

“Were you on the front lines? Did Chief Arnuk make you his right hand man?” Hakoda wants the juicy details. He wants to hear of how his son fought his first big battle, acting brave and heroic and cunning...Too bad this isn’t one of those stories. Sokka doesn’t feel like he was any of those things.

He’s tempted to change the subject--  _ Hey, dad, look at that rock! Pretty cool, right? Hey, dad, how about that bison? Bet you’ve never seen anything like Appa before… _

There’s no use avoiding it, though. His father wants to know, and there’s no story of the Siege of the North Pole without the story of him and Yue, so...he braces himself. Lowering his gaze, Sokka awkwardly answers, “Well, he did and uh...then he didn’t.” His father looks confused. Understandably. “I sort of uh...got into a fight...with his future son-in-law....over a girl…”

This piques his father’s interest. “A girl? The princess, no less? Oh, Sokka.” He sighs, but he doesn’t sound disappointed. There’s an understanding in his tone. And perhaps amusement, too. 

“Chief Arnuk took me off the mission to infiltrate one of the ships after that. He gave me the task of watching over Yue, instead.”

“Still, he must’ve trusted you a great deal to ask you to guard his daughter.”

“Yeah, well, it turns out his trust wasn’t as well-placed as he thought,” Sokka mutters darkly, but his father catches it.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing.”

He puts a hand on Sokka’s shoulder, tugging at it to try to get Sokka to look at him and confess whatever it is he’s hiding.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“You can tell me  _ anything _ ,” Hakoda insists, leaning in. “You know I think the world of you, no matter what.”

_ No matter what...You sure about that? Even if I told you that I’m not really your son? That I’m a firebender?  _

“I can’t.” He shrugs his father’s hand off his shoulder and stalks off into the nearby woods. He needs some space.

* * *

His father leaves him be, so he stays out in the woods by himself for a while. The first hour or two he just sits under a tree and broods. He thinks of Yue and of his lies and deceit toward everyone he loves (especially his father). At some point, that brooding turns into pacing restlessly. Realizing he’s working himself up into a State, he sits back down and contemplates how to distract himself from it all so he can calm down. His mind jumps to the breathing exercises Iroh’s taught him.

Eventually, he moves from the breathing exercises to practicing the forms, forgetting about the conversation that drove him out here in the first place and simply focusing on getting the moves down right.

Sokka manages to distract himself with this until the sun begins to set. As he notices the light fading from between the trees, he realizes it’s about time he should be getting back. He knows the men will be preparing dinner and he should help. Besides, if he stays out past dark they’ll surely come looking for him. He’s kinda surprised no one’s come along yet, but perhaps his father told them to give him a little space. Or they’re just too busy with preparations for the attack they’re planning nevermind the angsty boy who skulked off to the woods.

Nevertheless, Sokka figures it’s time he stops being a moody teenager and gets back to camp. His father won’t ask again, at least not tonight. 

“Hey, Sokka, I was just about to come looking for you,” Bato greets him as he walks back into camp.

“I just needed some time to myself. It’s um...it’s a lot. Being back with everyone again. Seeing my dad.”

Bato nods understandingly, but there’s a knowing look in his eyes. Like he knows that isn’t the full story.  _ Well, go ahead and wonder, Bato. I’m not telling it tonight. _

His father is around the fire with some of the others, each of them holding skewered fish over the flames. Sokka feels goosebumps crawl across his arms. 

“Sokka. Just in time for dinner. Here, have this one. I figured I’d get started on it for you.”

“I can cook my own,” Sokka replies, grabbing one of the fresh fish from the basket nearby. He affixes one onto one of the spears set in a line in the sand ready for use beside the fire and takes a seat.

“I never said you couldn’t,” Hakoda says, blinking, as he watches Sokka set his own fish over the fire. Out of the corner of his eye, Sokka spies him and Bato sharing a look. Bato shrugs.

It’s this interaction that makes Sokka realize he’s being a bit of an ass and that his father and Bato, nor the rest of the men, have any clue why. He thinks back to a conversation he had with Iroh during one of their training sessions after he mentioned his father didn’t know anything about his firebending heritage.

_ “There’s more to being family than sharing the same blood.” _

_ “Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether you do or not,” Sokka retorts, thinking of Hui Yin from the memoir he found in the spirit library. _

_ “I would think the man responsible for raising a son such as you would not care either way.” _

_ Sokka sighs. “It’s a nice thought, but I just don’t know. Firebenders took so much from my parents. What if my dad resents me for that?” _

_ Iroh frowns. “I wish I could say for sure that he would, but I have never met him.” He must see the disheartened expression Sokka undoubtedly wears on his face, for he then adds, sounding more hopeful and certain, “But I do know that the man who attacked your mother is  _ **not** _ your father.  _ **Hakoda** _ is your father. And I think he will say the same.” _

His mother said the same thing. Many times. It’s only now that Sokka accepts that they’re right. And although he’s still too afraid to tell his father the truth, Sokka no longer feels guilty about calling Hakoda, the man sitting beside him, his father. In every way that counts, he is. Perhaps one day he’ll be so sure of that fact that he can tell his father the truth without fearing total rejection.

The anger falls away. Sokka’s left feeling like a koala-sheep after all its wool’s been shaved off. “I’m sorry.”

Hakoda looks up at him, surprised by his sudden change in attitude. “It’s okay, Sokka. I get it.”  _ Yeah, I don’t think you do. But I appreciate you trying. _

They fall back into silence, but the tension from before has dissipated from the air.

“Sokka, I told your father that I took you for your ice dodging trials, but I didn’t tell him the whole story. I figured you’d like to tell him yourself next time you saw him?” Bato pipes up after a few moments of more companionable silence. It’s a  _ very _ clear invitation; an attempt to break the awkward atmosphere and reunite father and son after whatever happened earlier.

_ Bato’s too good for this world _ , Sokka thinks.

He perks up at that, excited to tell his dad about this pivotal moment. “I’ve been dying to, actually.”

Bato gives Hakoda a look, a twinkle in his eyes that says something along the lines of, ‘And you said I’d make a terrible father with all the shenanigans I used to get into. Bite me, Hakoda.’ He sets aside his clean spear, having finished his fish, and folds his arms across his chest. His dad smiles. “I’m all ears,” he says, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. The perfect picture of a captive audience.

* * *

The next day they work on setting up tangle mines. His father explains that they’re being used to stop the Fire Nation fleet from reaching the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. Chameleon Bay leads directly to it, so their task is an important one.

“Your father invented tangle mines himself,” Bato explains, brotherly pride all too evident in his voice. 

“Destructive? Buoyant? And…” Sokka leans in, fascinated, and takes a whiff of the mixture inside. He recoils from the smell so violently he nearly falls over. Gagging, he finishes, “Ugh, absolutely  _ terrible _ smelling!” His eyes watering, Sokka swipes them away with his arm. But in the end, he can’t help but smile at the odorous yet undeniably devious device.

Hakoda and Bato laugh. His father then explains the mechanics of the device as Sokka inspects the outer part of the design. He is  _ not  _ putting his nose anywhere near the opening of that thing again! “I call it the ‘stink and sink!’” His dad says, laughing.

Sokka bursts into laughter, clutching his sides. “Oh, wow, that’s perfect! Good one, dad!”

To his right, he hears Bato’s long-suffering sigh. “You are  _ definitely _ your father’s son.”

Sokka’s heart swells. Yeah, yeah he is.

He has little time to revel in this moment before another warrior comes running up to them, urgency in his voice as he announces, “Hakoda, our scouts have spotted four Fire Nation ships!”

His dad quickly jumps into chief mode, ordering Bato and the other men to prepare for battle. Everyone hurries off, leaving Sokka alone with his father.

Sokka glances around warily, feeling once more like the little boy his father left standing on the docks in the South Pole watching as the fleet sailed off. He’s going to have to sit here alone and wait for them to come back again, isn’t he? He’s finishing off this last tangle mine as Sokka looks to him, uncertain. “Uhhh...what should I do, Dad?”

He looks back at Sokka, brows raised. “Weren’t you listening? I said, ‘the rest of you men, prepare for battle!’” He smiles.

His face lights up at once. A big, stupid grin slapped across his face, Sokka hastens to his feet and hurries off after the others. Finally. He really is one of them, after all.

Minutes later, he’s readying his things and checking the sharpness of his blades when a hand on his shoulder gives him pause. He turns his head to see his father standing behind him. “Ready to knock some Fire Nation heads?”

Sokka turns to face him. “You don’t know how much this means to me, Dad. I’m more than ready. I’ll finally make you proud. I’ll finally prove to you what a great warrior I am. How hard I’ve trained since you left.”

Hakoda grabs him by the shoulders and looks at him earnestly. There’s deep affection and pride in his eyes. There’s a warmth in the smile gracing his gently wrinkled face. “Sokka, you don’t have to prove  _ anything _ to me. I’ve always been proud of you and I’ve always known you’re a great warrior.”

It’s more than he ever could have hoped for. “Really?” he asks, a tightness in his throat and heat rising in his cheeks.  _ Don’t you  _ dare  _ cry, Sokka! _

“Why do you think I trusted you to look after our tribe when I left?” 

He swallows, willing the tears gathering behind his eyes not to fall free. “I just...I thought that at first but as I got older, I thought that maybe that was just something you said to make me feel better about being left behind ‘cause I was too young.”

“I don’t speak empty words, Sokka,” his father assures him. And yep, here come the tears. Dammit.

Hakoda laughs, watching him wipe them away. “I didn’t think I could be any more proud, but here you are: all grown up, a skilled warrior, travelling the world, helping the Avatar! Sokka, there is absolutely nothing left to prove. You’re already done so much more than I could  _ ever _ have imagined and you’re only just  _ beginning _ to live!”

Sokka sniffles, wiping furiously at his face now. “Thanks, dad,” he manages to choke out, hugging him tight. His father hugs him back.

The familiar rumbling of a certain sky bison overhead makes them break apart. Sokka wipes at his face once more as he turns to face Appa and his rider as they land. It’s just Aang, and he looks worried. Really worried. He isn’t supposed to be back for Sokka for a week. It’s only been a day!

“This can’t be good news,” Sokka says, more to himself than his dad.

The pair of them step closer. “It’s Katara. She’s in trouble,” Aang says, and that’s all Sokka needs to hear. He glances over at his father with an apologetic look in his eye. He looks over at the ships waiting ashore for them wistfully. Fighting alongside the men of his tribe at long last will have to wait just a little longer.

“Go,” says Hakoda. Sokka nods, gives his father one last hug, and climbs atop Appa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal headcanon: Sometimes in the Avatar world people "invoke" the name of a former Avatar just like we might say "Oh my God!"or "Jesus Christ!" So Bato says the name Kuruk because that's the name of a the last Water Tribe Avatar.
> 
> While we're on Bato, by the way, I just wanted to add that I'm not sure if he's actually related to Hakoda or if they've just got a thick-as-thieves bromance goin'. I'm inclined to think they're just very long, close friends and that Bato's taken on the uncle role for Katara and Sokka but he's not actually their uncle.
> 
> Also, sorry not sorry for bringing up Yue again. *cries* I couldn't help it. I just started writing a conversation between them and that's where my keyboard took me. 
> 
> Anyways, lemme know what you think!


	10. The Crossroads of Destiny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang, Sokka, and Toph race back to Ba Sing Se to save Katara and wind up working with Iroh to do it after he shows up on their doorstep. While in Iroh's presence, Sokka tries to play it cool as best he can so Toph and Aang don't discover his deeper ties with the ex-general.   
> Afterwards, Toph and Sokka seek out the Earth King to warn him of Azula's presence in the city but immediately get captured. Sokka has an unexpected conversation with Ty Lee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda been shifting to Wednesday posts, which I hope is cool with y'all. 
> 
> Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter! You guys seriously make my week so much brighter.
> 
> I'm excited to see what you guys think of this chapter, and I hope that you like it's a little longer than usual, too!

On their way back to Ba Sing Se, Aang and Sokka run into Toph. The three of them continue on to the capitol and into the throne room, where they inform Kuei of Aang’s vision and ask if he knows of Katara’s whereabouts.

When Kuei comes up clueless and empty-handed --honestly, Sokka can’t really stand the guy, but he also knows he can’t really blame him. Kuei’s been fed lies his whole life, controlled and manipulated by his own agents-- they backtrack to their residence in the Upper Ring in hopes of finding a trace of her there. The only thing they find there is Momo, and that’s concerning. There’s no reason he would’ve come back to the house without her unless--

“Katara  _ is _ in trouble! I knew it!” Aang cries out.

“Yeah, and we have no idea where she is or who took her,” Sokka says. Setting aside his fear for Katara’s safety, he begins to think of possibilities and solutions. “Maybe we should go interrogate Long Feng and his creepy secret police. There are probably still men who are loyal to Long Feng despite the Earth King having him arrested. They’d have a reason to take Katara.”

Aang nods. “That’s not a bad place to start. I doubt he’d be willing to tell us anything, but it’s worth a shot.”

“Wait!” Toph shouts, interrupting them both. “Someone’s at the door.” There’s a knock not a moment after she announces it. Eerie. Sokka knows how she does it, but still. Eerie. “Actually, I know who it is. It’s an old friend of mine.” She crosses over to the door and opens it.

Sokka’s jaw drops in surprise at who awaits on the other side.

“It’s good to see you!” 

“Iroh?!” Both he and Aang exclaim.

“I would say the same, my friend, but this is not the greatest of circumstances. I need your help,” the old man says, looking between the three of them desperately. The calm demeanor Sokka’s come to associate with him has been replaced by concern. It must be about Zuko. Nothing else would make him like this.

Aang gets over his surprise first, immediately jumping into a fighting stance. Sokka’s heart starts racing as he thinks of how this encounter could expose everything. 

The attention isn’t on him, however. “You two know each other?” Aang questions, pointing a finger between Toph and Iroh. So far in their travels with Toph, they’ve only come across Iroh once, back in that abandoned village when he was electrocuted by Azula. The encounter had been brief and certainly not long enough to really be introduced and make either friends or enemies of each other.

But Sokka already knows the story thanks to Iroh. Toph met him right before they met back up at the abandoned village for their face off with Azula. He’d offered her tea and friendly advice. He’d coerced Toph into rejoining their gang.

Toph explains this to Aang as Sokka’s eyes dart between the three of them. He feels like an arctic hare caught in a trap. For his part, Iroh is clearly distressed over his nephew but seems as cool as a cucumber melon in regards to his affiliation with Sokka. Although he supposes he has more on the line here than Iroh does in that regard.

“May I come in?” Iroh patiently asks after Toph finishes. The girl nods, and Iroh steps inside before turning to face them, eyes darting between the three of them warily before he finally informs them of why he needs their help. “Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se.”

His blood runs cold but his mind is racing. How did she get inside the city undetected? Is she the one who has Katara? Oh, this is  _ bad _ .

“She must have Katara,” Aang concludes, his thoughts clearly going in the same direction as Sokka’s. He sounds dead set on finding her now. More than he was before.

“She has captured my nephew, as well,” Iroh tells them, eyeing the floor fearfully. He must worry what will happen when Zuko’s hot head and Azula’s cold heart clash.

“Then we’ll work together to fight Azula and save Katara and Zuko.” says Aang, clearly ready to do whatever it takes to get Katara back. He doesn’t even hesitate to welcome Iroh into their yet-to-be-formulated plot.

Sokka’s tempted to object, if only because it’s Zuko. Last he recalls, Mr. Seethes-A-Lot wanted to capture Aang and deliver him to his psycho father. And he had no qualms about hurting Aang or anyone else in the process. No way is he letting that happen.

Perhaps Iroh sees the hesitation in his face, because he steps forward and puts a gentle hand on each of his shoulders. “I know how you must feel about my nephew, but please, believe me when I say that he has  _ good _ in him!” he pleads. Sokka’s never heard him sound so desperate. “Please, he means everything to me.” His eyes are glistening with tears.

“Okay,” he says quietly. “Okay,” he repeats, louder this time. 

“Katara’s in trouble and so is all of Ba Sing Se. Working together is our best chance,” Aang says. It’s the last little push Sokka needs to put aside his resentment towards Zuko and agree to do whatever is necessary to stop Azula and get his sister back. Even if it means working with not only Iroh, but his nephew as well.

With that settled, Iroh walks back toward the door. “I brought someone along who might be able to help us.” He motions for them all to follow him outside, where a trembling restrained Dai Li agent sits in a heap on the ground. Toph earthbends him to his feet while keeping him detained. Iroh steps forward and pulls the gag from his mouth so he can talk.

“Tell us--” Sokka starts, using the most commanding and threatening tone he can muster, but the guy is already opening his mouth and spouting out secrets. “Well that was easy,” he mutters to himself more than anyone else.

“Azula and Long Feng are planning a coup! They’re going to overthrow the Earth King!”

“And my sister?” he demands, leering at him. “Where are they keeping Katara?”

“In the Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace!” he answers without missing a beat. Sokka’s almost a little disappointed by how easy it is to get him to talk.

“Let’s go!” Aang says, and they all sprint off in the direction of the palace.

“Hey, what about me! Don’t leave me here!” the Dai Li agent calls after them. All four of them ignore him.

As they reach the foot of the palace walls, Toph crouches down and spreads a palm out across the earth. Everyone is silent as she seeks out the catacombs below, testing the agent’s claim. “Well, what d’you know? There  _ is _ an ancient city down there. But it’s deep.” She straightens up, then outstretches her arms and gets into her stance. She begins opening up a tunnel that leads to the city below.

Sokka puts a hand on her shoulder, making her pause. “Wait,” he says, a plan brewing in his head. “We should split up. Aang, you and Iroh go after Katara and the angry jerk--” he stops, looking apologetically over at Iroh, “--no offense.”

“None taken,” Iroh replies, shrugging. “You’re not wrong.”

“Toph and I will go inform the Earth King of Azula’s coup.” Aang and Iroh nod in agreement to the plan. The pair step forward, entering the tunnel. Iroh bends a small fire for light as they go deeper and Aang begins earthbending to clear the path ahead. Toph and Sokka only remain long enough to see Aang bend another foot or two of path ahead before they run off toward the King’s chambers.

They make it up the stairs just as General How rounds a corner. “There’s General How!” Sokka grabs Toph’s hand and pulls her behind one pillar as he sees a shadow dart between another.

“What the--” Toph starts, but Sokka shushes her and peeks around the corner in time to see Dai Li agents leap out from above and around General How.

“What’s going on here?” the general demands in confusion.

Another agent drops down directly in front of the general, who has been cuffed and brought to his knees. “You’re under house arrest.” Using the extendable chains hidden within their sleeves, the agents grab ahold of General How and ascend into the air and out of sight.

Sokka turns to Toph, alarmed, “The coup is happening right now! We’ve gotta get to the Earth King before it’s too late!” They break out into a run again for the King’s chambers. As they do, Sokka can hear the echoes of chains rattling and even, he thinks, a distant cry for help somewhere off within the palace somewhere. He shivers.

At last they burst through the doors and make it into the throne room. Panting, Sokka sighs in relief. “Thank Yue, we’re in time!” 

The King looks at him blankly, completely unaware of the chaos happening around him. “In time for what?”

“Yeah,” one of the Kyoshi Warriors cheerfully parrots, cartwheeling toward him, “What are you in time for--” she leans in, face mere inches from his, eyes big, grin wide-- “ _ cutie _ ?”

Sokka sweats, rubbing his neck sheepishly. She’s cute, but there’s something unsettling about her. Something familiar. And more importantly, she’s not Suki. “I uh...I’m kinda involved with Suki.” 

“Who?” the girl says, the words barely leaving her lips before she’s sent hurtling through the air by Toph with a jutting pillar of rock. But it doesn’t throw the girl off her balance. Instead, she flips gracefully through the air and lands back on her feet a few feet away.

Sokka grabs his weapon, realizing the truth at the same time Toph cries out, “They’re not the real Kyoshi Warriors!”

Kuei gasps. One of the other warriors, sitting lazily by the throne, gets to her feet. She rolls her eyes, looking impossibly bored. Oh, Sokka remembers her. Mai. She’s not a bender, but she’s got deadly skill with projectiles. “Sorry to disappoint you,” she says dully. She raises a hand and flings a handful of daggers Toph’s way. The fight begins, Toph taking her assailant, leaving the other girl for Sokka. Ty Lee, he recalls, now that the guise of being a Kyoshi Warrior is gone. She’s the one that can block bending and paralyze non-benders. He can’t let her touch him.

Giggling, Ty Lee jumps in front of him and begins jabbing. Sokka evades every one of her hits, but she seems no less deterred. In fact, she seems downright gleeful. “Ooh, it’s like we’re  _ dancing _ together!” she gushes.

“I told you already!” He dodges a jab aimed at his shoulder, bending low and leaning to the left. “Not!” He dodges another, shifting his weight to his other leg. “Interested!” He huffs in annoyance.

“Enough!” Everyone freezes, eyes snapping over to Azula. Positioned before the throne, Azula stands poised with a blue flame at her fingertips pointed right at Kuei’s jugular. “This fight is  _ over _ .”

Shit. Sokka puts his arms up in surrender as Toph does the same. The breath is knocked out of him --along with the control of his limbs-- a second later as Ty Lee chi blocks him and then leaps over to Toph to do the same. He falls to the floor, helpless to do a thing.

He sees Momo take flight overhead in an attempt to escape, and just as he passes out of his sight, Sokka hears a squeal and then a thump as Momo is also taken down by one of the Dai Li agents. 

“Get them all out of my sight,” Azula commands, and Dai Li agents come to drag them off to prison.

“I can take this one,” Ty Lee coyly tells the agent handling him. Sokka groans, rolling his eyes.  _ Please, no. _

The agent stops, Sokka flopping to the floor for a moment as he drops him, and then Ty Lee’s face appears above him. Having somehow wiped the Kyoshi Warrior paint off her face already, she smiles down at him coquettishly. “Hi again, handsome.”

“You know what, I think I liked the other guy better,” Sokka mutters as she proceeds to grab him and then, to his surprise, hoist him up. She pulls his arms up over her shoulders, wearing him almost like a long, dangly backpack. He doesn’t like this new position, but at the very least he can see Toph, now being dragged ahead of him, and Kuei and Bosco ahead of her. He can see where they’re going. Perhaps he can use it to his advantage later when they inevitably find a way to break out. Of course, they’ll have to wait for the feeling to come back to their limbs first. And for Toph to get her bending back.

“Oh, don’t say that,” Ty Lee coos. “We can be friends! Maybe even  _ more _ .” She wiggles a suggestive brow.

He groans. “I’m. With. Suki!” Sokka repeats once again. The words kind of lose effect, though, given his current status as immobile sack of bones slung over her shoulders.

Ty Lee sighs, disappointed. She changes the subject. “You have such an interesting aura, y’know.”

“Aura?”

Ty Lee turns thoughtful, musing aloud. “Yeah. When I first met you I saw one color, but now I see a totally different one. Like you’ve got two different auras.” She pauses, then giggles. “That’s so funny, isn’t it?”

“Uh, sure,” Sokka dully replies. He still has  _ no _ clue what she’s talking about.

“Two conflicting auras can mean a number of things, but usually…” she pauses, as if for dramatic effect. If she even knows what that is. “...it’s because the person has a secret. Like they’re living two lives,” she says, voice down to a conspiratorial whisper by the end. He swears his heart skips a beat --or ten-- as she continues. “Do you have a secret, cutie?” She glances over her shoulder, just barely managing to make eye contact with him. She flashes him a wink.

Okay, maybe no need to be too worried. Maybe she just thinks he’s crushing on her and is in denial? Something silly and inconsequential like that.

“Hmmm...well it’s  _ definitely _ not that you like me,” she says in dismay. He can practically  _ hear _ her pouting. “You’ve made  _ that _ very clear.”

Okay, nope, time to worry!

Ty Lee continues to think aloud, as it seems she’s prone to doing. “No, it’s something...deeper.”

How is it possible that  _ Ty Lee _ of all people might be the one to uncover his secret first? Aside from Jeong Jeong and Iroh who are firebending masters.

“Hmm...when I first met you, I saw this orange-yellow aura, but now I’m getting way more yellow...and some murky brown. But there’s  _ still _ some orange-yellow there, too, which is  _ really _ weird!” She stops for a minute, motioning for the others to keep moving when one of the Dai Li agents stops to look back at her. Ty Lee sets him down, resting him against the wall so he’s sitting upright. She crouches down in front of him, assessing him closely. “None of those are very good colors to be radiating, y’know,” she says, as if it’s as obvious as the sky being blue. 

Although his heart is pounding, Sokka plays it cool. “So what? They’re just colors.”

She shakes her head, frowning. “No, they’re more than that. They tell you what a person’s thinking or feeling. Understanding your aura can really help you better understand yourself and what’s troubling you. And you--” she pokes his chest and, if he wasn’t so frazzled about her being potentially about to expose him, he’d tell her to keep her  _ hands. Off _ . “--my handsome warrior, are troubled.”

It’s clear she believes very strongly in these auras of hers. Katara told him a bit about them back when she was learning to heal at the Northern Water Tribe before Pakku’s misogynistic ass let her train under him. It sounded like some spiritual mumbo-jumbo to him. Sorely lacking in scientific backing. He’d paid little attention to it.

And yet, she’s onto something here and it’s starting to really freak him out.

“Yellow is all about your chi, the source of all your energy. You’ve got this pale, lemony aura and that means you’ve either recently embarked on some sort of spiritual journey and discovered some new ability--Ooooh, so this secret deals with some newfound knowledge of some kind!” she claps her hands together excitedly. “Or,” she adds, putting a finger to her chin consideringly, “it can also mean you fear loss. Loss of control or loss of someone or something.” She steps back, looking him over again carefully from above. It’s like she’s testing out angles the way an artist sketches a nature scene. And then a light seems to spark in her mind. He can see her brown eyes brighten. “ _ Or _ it’s both!” she says, sounding exhilarated by the prospect.

“ _ Ooooor _ this is some weird spiritual junk that has no foundation in logic or science.”

Ty Lee gives him a sour look. “Maybe science just doesn’t understand it yet. Maybe it never will. Doesn’t make it any less real.”

“I’d beg to differ,” Sokka retorts.

“You can’t really do much of anything right now, actually,” she shoots back, and Sokka’s gotta hand it to her, she’s got him there. “Besides, I think you’re really just worried I’m about to guess your secret,” she says in a low voice, smirking victoriously.

“This is ridiculous,” Sokka says, but his voice cracks and belies how lacking in confidence he really is. Damn you, puberty!

“And then there’s that murky brown color you have going on towards your center,” she continues, apparently not done yet. Sokka resists the urge to growl in frustration. “The yellow’s out here.” She gestures around his outer silhouette. “This color means that you’re not just afraid of losing control, but of letting others see a secret part of you.” She gasps as another revelation comes to her. “Oh! Oh, you’ve  _ definitely _ got a secret and it’s a  _ big _ one!”

_ How the f--? _

“Let’s see...you’ve learned something new about yourself, but you’re not happy about it. You’re afraid that someone will find out like that earthbender you were with or your sister. You’re afraid that you can’t control it or hide it forever…”

_ Seriously, how the f--?!  _ Sokka really wishes he could get these stupid limp legs to lift him up and carry him off somewhere far, far away from this weirdly insightful circus girl.

Ty Lee leans in, looking him square in the eyes. “Are you actually a bender?” she whispers.

In the name of all that is meaty and sarcastic, someone  _ please _ help him!

“If you were a waterbender, it wouldn’t be a big deal, though. Would it?” she pauses a moment to ponder this. “But if you were some other kind...Wait, no  _ way _ , you’re not a--?”

“ _ Ty Lee _ !” a voice barks from the end of the hall. The girl flinches. “What the hell are you doing with the prisoner? I said to lock them all up! Quit dawdling and get him to the cell!”

Sokka never, ever,  _ ever _ thought he’d say this, but thank the spirits for Azula!

“Sorry, Azula! I was just--”

“I know  _ precisely _ what it is you were doing.” Azula takes a few steps forward, crossing her arms. She huffs in disappointment, an annoyed look on her face. “You might have ruined your prospects some by joining the circus, but you can do  _ far _ better than some Water Tribe peasant, Ty Lee. Don’t waste your time.”

Ty Lee glances back at him for a second. “Yes, Azula,” she dutifully replies. She grabs Sokka’s arms and drags him -- _ back to the floor, then, huh? _ \-- onward to the prison cell Toph, Kuei, and Bosco must surely be waiting inside of by now.

* * *

An hour passes and the feeling has returned to one of his legs and the fingers on both of his hands when one of the girls returns to their cell.

They all look up at the door, wondering why she’s unlocking it and stepping in. As she comes inside, Sokka notices it’s not Ty Lee but the grumpy one, Mai.

“Ty Lee wants the bear. We’re bored.”

“Then why not come for him herself?” Toph asks, arms folded haphazardly across her chest. It seems the feeling has returned to her arms (for the most part) but her legs are still useless. 

At the same time, Kuei cries out, “No, Bosco stays with me!” and clutches the large animal as close as he can.

Mai rolls her eyes and sighs. She does that a lot, he’s noticed. “Try and stop me,” Mai retorts, tying a rope around Bosco’s collar and tugging at it to motion for the animal to get up and move along.

The king takes a deep breath and raises his chin, trying to look imposing and doing a horrendous job of it. He starts to stand, a hand guarding his over-sized pet. “Alright, I--” There’s a silver glint from her sleeve and Kuei pales. “--I suppose that’s alright.” Sokka’s seen ferretchickens that are braver. “But bring him back soon!” he says, voice quivering.

“Whatever,” Mai answers, waving a dismissive hand as she departs the cell with Bosco, who complies easily enough. The beast doesn’t have a care in the world. He’s clueless to the danger he or his master are in.

“I cannot  _ wait  _ for the feeling to return to my toes again so I can kick her ass,” Toph growls.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen for at least another hour. In that time, Kuei whimpers over the loss (however temporary) of his beloved bear while he and Toph strategize on their next move after they bust out. Toph assures him the busting out part itself is already taken care of. He thinks back to the return ride to the city on Appa during which Toph informed them she had invented metalbending. Oh, he can’t wait to see that!

At last, Sokka declares he’s good to go. A moment later, after testing her limbs, Toph gives him a thumbs up. “Then let’s get outta here,” Sokka says, punching a fist into the air. He pulls himself up off the floor.

Kuei gets to his feet, following their lead. “How are we going to get out of here? What’s your plan?”

“Get ready for this. It’s gonna be awesome,” Sokka tells the king by way of explanation. The man looks absolutely bewildered and more than a little frightened as Toph steps forward. She takes her stance, cracks her fingers, rubs her hands together, and then takes a few steadying breaths. Finally, she closes her little hands around the iron bars and pulls. The metal, sure enough, bends.

Kuei stands in shock, and even Sokka is stunned in awe for a moment. “Remarkable!” the king exclaims.

“Have I mentioned before how  _ glad _ I am that we added you to the team?”

“Quit marveling at how awesome I am and move it, you idiots!” Toph calls, already on the outside of the cell door and waiting impatiently. If it’s dawned on her that she’s just called the Earth King an idiot, she doesn’t care in the slightest.

“The exit’s this way,” Sokka says, taking point. He’s been around the palace just enough to know the basic layout.

“Wait, not without Bosco!” the king cries, stopping mid-run in the middle of the hallway. 

Sokka’s palm goes straight to his forehead.  _ Smack _ ! But he can’t really begrudge the guy. He supposes it’d be like leaving Momo behind. Well, Momo is perhaps a little brighter than Bosco, but still. “Alright, alright,” he begrudgingly agrees.

“Fine, we’ll go save the stupid bear,” Toph grumbles.

After weaving through a series of hallways, Sokka leads them into the great throne room from a side entrance that’s less conspicuous. Only Ty Lee and Mai are there, along with Bosco. The latter of the two girls is sitting on the throne, legs swung over one of the arm rests. She cradles her head in her hand, elbow resting on the other arm rest. In her free hand she twirls one of her daggers. She looks bored out of her mind.

Ty Lee, on the other hand, is wholly focused on the bear. “Come on, it’s easy!” the cartwheeling teen implores, “You just walk on your front paws instead of your rear ones! Like this,” she says to Bosco, demonstrating. She begins walking around, looking back at Bosco hopefully. The bear just blinks at her and makes a confused growl. She sighs, bringing her legs down to the floor so that she’s bent over backwards. It’s at this moment that Toph makes the floor rise up to meet her and trap both her hands and feet in earth.

Bosco claps, making a delighted sound.

“Pretty neat trick,” Toph says with a smirk as Ty Lee looks around, alarmed and confused in her contorted position.

Mai looks over from the throne, seeing Ty Lee trapped and the three of them standing before her, Toph and Sokka in fighting stances with weapons of choice at the ready and Kuei...well, he’s just standing behind them and looking desperately at Bosco. Apparently she isn’t intent on fighting. Mai waives a hand. “Just take the bear.”

Well that was easy.

Kuei doesn’t waste a second, running forward not a moment after the words have left her mouth. “Bosco!” he cries, wrapping his arms around as much of the bear as he can physically manage. Bosco sounds happy to be reunited with him, too.

As they run out of the throne room, Bosco and the king in tow, Sokka hears Mai make a disgusted sound. Seems to him like she’s just glad to no longer have to play babysitter.

“We need to go help Aang and Katara,” Sokka announces as they speed through the palace and out onto the street. “Toph, can you sense them in the catacombs below?”

Toph crouches down, similar to how she did earlier, and puts a splayed palm out on the ground. She listens a moment. “No, they’re not down there.”

“Over here!” a voice calls from somewhere off in the distance.

“Katara!” Sokka sprints in the direction of the voice to find a soaked Katara, hair completely undone, cradling an unconscious and battered Aang. His bright orange and yellow clothes are dirty and singed, even burned away entirely in places. “What happened?”

“I’ll explain on the way, where’s Appa?” Katara says, voice cracking. He can tell she’s barely holding herself together. Whatever happened, it’s serious.

Sokka grabs the bison whistle from his pocket. Aang had given it to him earlier for just this sort of occasion. He’d really been hoping he wouldn’t need to use it. A moment later, the bison appears. Sokka helps Katara get Aang up into the saddle and it’s only then that he sees the hole in his clothing on his back. And the red, inflamed mark in the middle of it. 

It’s the unmistakable mark of lightning.

Aang had been struck with lightning.

“Azula,” Katara quietly tells him, answering the question before it’s even past his lips.

“Is he…?” Toph begins, fear in her voice.

Sokka’s eyes widened. He looks up at Katara, but she doesn’t answer. She merely pulls at a string around her neck and opens the little vial that’s attached. She extracts the water from within, spirit water if he’s not mistaken, and as it makes contact with the injury on Aang’s back it begins to glow. She holds her hand over the wound for a couple of very long minutes that feel like hours. Sokka holds his breath.

The glowing stops, the water completely absorbed into the wound, but nothing else happens. Katara begins to sob while Sokka’s heart sinks. Goes right over Appa’s saddle and plummets to the ground below.

He can’t. He  _ can’t _ be…

Suddenly, in the dark of the night sky, Aang’s tattoos begin to glow. Aang gasps, his eyes fluttering open just a sliver. A ghost of a smile finds its way across his face as he sees Katara’s face above. His grey eyes manage to stay open just long enough to see her give a teary smile in return, and then he’s out again.

Sokka’s grief turns to hysterical relief and he laughs a little. “Katara, you did it. He’s gonna make it!”

Katara meets his eyes and nods. “Yeah, he’s gonna make it.”

“Way to go, Katara,” Toph says warmly.

Sokka looks over at their other two passengers, the king and his bear. Kuei looks down over the saddle at the city below that is rapidly fading into the distance. Grief is written clearly across his face. Tears stream down his cheeks.

With Aang’s life no longer in danger, Sokka makes the grim realization just as Kuei utters it aloud.

“The Earth Kingdom...has fallen.”

As if to punctuate the levity of this, Appa gives a low, sad groan that echoes across the empty sky. Sokka looks up at the moon, shining bright despite this dismal occasion.

“What now?” he asks, and then he starts to formulate a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy SHIT guys, we made it to the end of Book 2! I think I've got a tie-in for Book 2-3, but I'm still working on it. 
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you think of this chapter and especially the bit with Ty Lee! I've been toying with this idea of Ty Lee finding him out because of her aura reading abilities and I wasn't sure where to fit it in until I rewatched this episode and was like "ooooh, I have a wild idea!" and here it is.  
> The aura info was taken from a bit of an amalgamation of websites while doing a quick bit of research on auras. So it should be factual but forgive me if it's not??  
> What Ty Lee does with this info, by the way, you'll have to wait and stick around to find out *evil laughter* But I welcome speculation, as always.
> 
> P.S. Sorry to any potential Kuei fans out there. I--well, technically Sokka--bashed him a bit here lol.
> 
> Thanks again and stay safe!


	11. The Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fall of Ba Sing Se, the team regroups with the Southern Water Tribe fleet on Chameleon Bay and begins to hatch a plan for the Day of Black Sun Invasion. Sokka deals with some family issues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO sorry for the late update, guys! Work has been busy and also I was a little stuck on this chapter. It's kind of more of a filler, but I think it's got some great character development and some cool interactions you'll like. I wasn't originally going to write it, but after Crossroads you guys convinced me to write something that filled the gap between that chapter and the first one we'll be doing in season 3! 
> 
> This chapter is like twice the normal size, I think, and also I need to catch up on writing some future chapters, so as a result I'm gonna take next week off. Don't hate me too much!
> 
> This chapter isn't so much the Awakening episode itself as it is a prequel of sorts that ties into the episode in the end.

“I know no one wants to think about this after just having lost Ba Sing Se and nearly losing Aang, but...what are we gonna do?” Toph asks. “We were counting on the Earth Kingdom armies to help with the eclipse invasion.”

Katara glances down at Aang, still cradled in her arms, then over to Sokka.

Everyone is looking to him for leadership. Well, except Toph. ‘Looking’ in any particular direction doesn’t do much for her, after all. 

He gulps. It’s a lot of pressure to be the one who everyone turns to for a plan. But he tells himself to relax because he  _ does _ have one. He can do this. He’s been preparing for this. “We rendezvous with the Southern Water Tribe fleet down at Chameleon Bay until Aang’s healed up. Then we head to the Fire Nation and make our way toward the capital. Tomorrow I’ll start mapping our course and scheduling everything so we make sure we get there with time to spare.”

“But who are we gonna get to fight in this invasion?” Katara asks.

“We’ve got dad’s fleet plus the list of allies we’ve made during our travels that I’ve been working on.”

“That still can’t be many…” Katara says, sounding doubtful.

Sokka scratches his head, admitting, “No, it’s not. But if a ragtag team is all we got to work with, then we’re gonna have to make it work somehow. We don’t have any other choice. The eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take down the Fire Lord. We can’t pass it up.”

“True,” Katara reluctantly agrees.

“We can make it work,” Sokka insists, determined.

“We have to try.” It seems he’s got Toph’s vote, at least.

“That sounds awfully risky…” King Kuei pipes up from the back of the saddle. His wide eyes pass over each of them, studying them. “And you’re all just kids.”

“Tell us something we don’t know,” Toph deadpans.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re gonna do whatever it takes to end this war,” Sokka says.

“That’s right,” Katara adds. It sounds like she’s finally on board with this plan. Risky or not, they’ve got no other choice.

“You’re all so brave…” Kuei breathes, looking at them all in wonder. And then he bows his head as he realizes something. “Braver than I ever was or ever will be. I lived my whole life inside that palace. I ruled a kingdom I never even knew and blindly let my advisors deal with any problem, internal or external.”

Katara shakes her head. “Long Feng and the Dai Li, as well as others before them, worked hard to make sure everyone in Ba Sing Se including the king was kept in the dark about the status of the war. Other kings before you probably fell for the same trick. It’s not your fault...”

“Isn’t it, though?” Kuei asks with a frown. He gazes out over the saddle at the world below. “I can’t believe I never thought to venture out beyond the city or even the palace until now. If I had, things might’ve gone differently.”

“What’s done is done,” Toph tells him, not without compassion. “You can’t change it now. But Katara’s right, you can’t blame yourself. My parents tried to hide me from the world and keep me locked away, but you had a whole secret military and a powerful and cunning advisor all working to hide you from the truth.”

“I suppose you’re right…”

“But now that Ba Sing Se’s been captured, what are you gonna do?” Katara asks.

Kuei turns thoughtful, pondering the question for a moment before the corners of his lips turn up into a small grin. “I think I’ll take this opportunity to travel the world like I should’ve done long ago. When the war is over, perhaps I’ll return to Ba Sing Se and, if the people will have me, return to the throne armed with a better understanding of them and the world.”

“That’s a great idea.”

“As long as you’re not coming with us,” Toph candidly replies. “You’d be lousy in a fight.” and then she remembers she’s talking to a recently deposed King and decides to retain at least some level of decorum. “No offense.”

“None taken. I most certainly would be useless.” At least he’s aware of it.

“So then we’ll part ways when we get to Chameleon Bay,” Sokka tells him. “You and Bosco can head off on your travels from there. I recommend you wear a disguise, though. Those clothes are  _ not _ gonna help you blend in anywhere,” he says, gesturing to Kuei’s kingly robes and Bosco’s fancy hat and vest--and wait, are those  _ emeralds _ lining the bear’s hat?  _ Are you kidding me?! _

“Excellent point,” Kuei says. “I’ll procure us some new clothes and we’ll travel as ordinary citizens. I suppose that’s all we are now, anyway.”

“Not to mention you’re fugitives now,” Sokka reminds him.

“Ah, yes. How thrilling!” Sokka resists the urge to smack him upside the head. 

“Thrilling?!” he exclaims, eyes bulging and pitch escalating to new, voice-cracking, piercing levels. “No, it’s bad!  _ Very _ bad! If the Fire Nation finds you, they’ll arrest you. And if they don’t kill you, they’ll throw you in  _ jail _ ! Jail’s  _ not nice _ , your highness! Not! Nice!”

“Sokka,” Katara warns him, tone scolding and motherly.

But at last, Kuei has the sense to look frightened. “Oh.”

“I’m sure they’ve got bigger problems than a rogue deposed king…” Katara throws out in an attempt to make him feel a little less scared, but she doesn’t sound very convincing.

“I wouldn’t gamble with those odds.” The king’s eyes nervously dart over to Toph, his thin lips turning further downward.

Katara eyes the earthbender sharply, but of course it’s a useless endeavor with Toph given she can’t see. “Just be careful while you explore,” Katara settles on telling him.

Kuei nods before returning his thoughtful gaze to the world beneath them.

* * *

They make it to Chameleon Bay shortly before dawn. The sky is a pale blue. The fires at camp are merely ghostly embers aside from one that the scouts are sitting around to keep guard through the night.

Appa lets loose a low, somber growl that brings the camp alive in an instant. Scouts whose shapes begin to bloom into focus as they descend onto the shore rise from their posts. Men blearily crawl out of their tents to investigate the commotion. Bato and his father are among them.

When they land, the pair are there to greet them. Sokka hops down from Appa’s head. “Sokka, what are you doing here? Is Katara alright?” His father peers above, trying to see who’s in the saddle.

Sokka opens his mouth to answer, but Katara beats him to it. “I’m fine. It’s Aang we’re worried about.” They’re both taken aback by the hostility in her voice. What gives?

“What’s wrong with Aang?” Bato asks.

“He got struck by lightning while in the Avatar State. He’s gonna be okay, but he’ll need a lot of time to heal. It almost killed him,” Katara explains as she and Toph work to lift the unconscious Avatar up and lower him down from the saddle. Sokka, Bato, and Hakoda assist.

“By Kuruk, he looks awful,” Bato murmurs, staring at Aang as they carry him into a nearby tent.

“He’s just a kid,” Hakoda whispers, unable to take his eyes off the bruised, battered, and singed Avatar. It’s a bleak picture, even more so when you know the way Aang normally is.

“Well, yeah,” Sokka replies, “I told you he was only 12.”

Hakoda finally manages to look away from him as they set him down on an empty futon. “You did. I just...it didn’t really hit me until now just how young he is.”

“Sokka was 11 when you left,” Katara cuts in, an unforgiving edge to her voice. “I was 10.”

Guilt stretches across Hakoda’s face. “I know.” 

“I’m going to stay here and continue to look after Aang,” Katara tells them. Hakoda may not know it from being away from them for so long, but Sokka recognizes it as a clear sign of dismissal. He motions for them to exit.

“So you’re the chief of the Southern Water Tribe,” a new voice says as they exit the tent. Kuei stands there with Bosco. He bows. It’s weird. No, not just weird like ‘why is a king bowing to a chieftain’ weird but like physically weird. It’s unrehearsed, a gesture Kuei is making based on years of observation as he’s surely never had to reciprocate the gesture himself. If their current circumstances weren’t so awful, Sokka might’ve laughed.

“Uh, who’s this?”

“Dad, this is--was?--the Earth King.”

Hakoda’s jaw drops. His eyes bounce back and forth between them. “The Earth King? Why is the Earth King traveling with you?”

“Because Ba Sing Se’s been captured,” Toph says.

His father, Bato, and the other Water Tribe warriors gathered around all freeze. “Captured?” Bato repeats in disbelief.

“These kids helped me escape the city after we were taken prisoner,” Kuei tells them.

“You mean you didn’t stay and fight?” One of the men calls out angrily.

Kuei pales, meekly replying, “I don’t know how.”

“Azula, the princess of the Fire Nation, disguised herself and infiltrated the palace. When Toph and I came to warn the king, she captured us. When we escaped, we reunited with Katara to see her with an unconscious Aang.”

“Oh. Uh, my apologies, your...highness?”

“Call me Kuei. I’m not exactly a king anymore.”

“Actually,” Sokka awkwardly butts in, “You might wanna think about something else to call yourself and Bosco. Just to be safe.”

Kuei appears understandably put out by this news. “I suppose you’re right,” he says sadly. He looks to the bear at his side and his face brightens a little. “We’ll brainstorm some ideas once we get settled in.” Bosco groans in what Sokka supposes is agreement, because Kuei smiles. 

“Nanuq, why don’t you show these two to a tent,” Hakoda says to one of the men nearby. He looks uncertainly over at Bosco. “You uh...might wanna try for a larger one.” Nanuq looks a little overwhelmed by the task as he takes in Bosco’s size versus the size of the average tent, but gestures for the pair to follow, regardless.

“And who’s this?” Hakoda asks, turning his attention to Toph.

“This is the friend I told you about: Toph.”

“You’re Aang’s earthbending teacher. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” Toph says, bowing. “Sokka and Katara talk about you a lot. Especially Sokka.” She jabs a thumb over at him.

“Your parents must be so proud to know their daughter’s teaching the Avatar earth--” He stops mid-sentence as he notices Sokka making a cutting motion with his hand over his neck, frantically signalling for him to stop talking. 

Too late. “It’s fine, Sokka,” she insists, motioning for him to quit flailing and worrying about upsetting her “Actually, I ran away. They don’t think I can take care of myself because I’m blind.”

“Oh!” Hakoda cringes, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean--”

Toph waves a hand. “It’s okay. They’ve always been that way. I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t have to be,” his dad can’t help but reply.

Her expression softens. “I can see why Sokka and Katara care about you so much.”

Hakoda beams. “Give them time. Perhaps they’ll come around one day.”

Sokka smiles, seeing the warmth it brings to Toph’s face. She’ll deny it to the stars and back, but he knows she needed to hear that.

“Hey, dad, I don’t mean to impose but we’ve been flying all night and we haven’t eaten since...when did we eat last?” he says, turning to Toph. She shrugs. “Would you happen to have some food you can spare?”

“We’ve got plenty. How about we get started on breakfast early? We’ll make a big meal. You guys have earned it.”

He nods excitedly, feeling his stomach rumble.

“Thank goodness. I’m starving.” Toph clutches her stomach. Sokka hears it grumble, too.

Hakoda puts one arm around Sokka as he places a hand on Toph’s shoulder, leading them off to collect materials and get cooking.

* * *

Three days after coming to Chameleon Bay, Aang hasn’t woken up but the bay is starting to see a steady stream of Fire Nation ships coming in. Too many for tangle mines to do any damage.

Sokka watches from the shore with Bato. “They’re here to help occupy Ba Sing Se.” Bato nods. “We need to take one of those ships to get to the Fire Nation and we need to do it before they notice we’re here.”

Bato’s head snaps in his direction. He looks at Sokka like he’s crazy. Well, he might not be wrong. This is one of his craziest plans yet. “I don’t think I heard you right. Mind running that by me again?”

“We need to capture one of those ships, disguise ourselves as Fire Nation, and sail into Fire Nation territory to get ready for the invasion.”

“You realize that’s crazy, right?”

“It’s totally doable,” Sokka assures him. “We’ve got a fleet of badass Water Tribe warriors, a waterbending master, and an earthbending master who also just invented metalbending.”

“That little thing knows how to bend metal?!” Bato asks, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder back toward camp where Toph is.

“She’s way stronger than she looks.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it. I saw her punch you in the shoulder the other day and nearly send you flying.”

Sokka crosses his arms and shrugs, feigning nonchalance. “I barely felt it.”

“That’s yakmule shit and you know it,” Bato says with a laugh.

He drops the act, as Bato clearly isn’t buying it. “She’s really strong, okay?” he whines, pouting at his uncle. The older man bursts into laughter.

“Come on, let’s go tell your father this crazy plan of yours.” 

* * *

The next day they capture a ship without attracting any other ship in the growing fleet’s attention. With the ship clear of enemies, they bring Aang aboard. He and his father carry Aang themselves under Katara’s supervision, and as they do Sokka can’t stop thinking about how strange it is. To see bright and cheery Aang so still and quiet, his gleeful eyes closed, is so unnatural. He already misses the kid.

“Do you think he’ll wake up anytime soon?” Sokka asks her as she arranges the blankets and pillows around him.

“I have no idea,” she says with a sigh. “I miss him, too, Sokka.”

“Have faith,” Hakoda says, coming up to rest a hand on each of their shoulders. Katara shrugs it off and steps away, finding some other thing about Aang’s arrangements to fuss over.

Reading the room, he tries to change the subject. “So...dinner, anyone?”

“I’ll eat later. I’m gonna stay here a little longer with Aang and check to make sure we didn’t mess with his injuries while bringing him onboard.”

Sokka sees the sad look in his father’s eyes and wishes he had an explanation for her cold treatment toward him. He makes a note to ask her about it later.

“We’ll save you a bowl.”

Katara doesn’t answer. Sokka pats his dad on the back and leads them out of the room.

* * *

Hoping to unravel the tempest that is Katara’s heart and mind, Sokka brings a bowl to Aang’s quarters for her after dinner as promised. 

Katara sits in a chair by Aang’s bed with a book in her hands, but she’s currently dozing. Her fingers curl loosely around the page she stopped on. 

Sokka’s lips curve up in a soft smile. He’s glad to see she’s resting, although he wishes she would just leave Aang, go to her own room, and sleep in an actual bed. It’s the first time they all have their own rooms as well as real beds and Sokka, for one, plans to take complete advantage of the situation.

He almost hates to wake her up, but he knows she needs to eat. He doesn’t think she has all day. With great care, Sokka slides the book out of her hands and sets it on a table nearby. Gently, he shakes her shoulder to rouse her. “Katara?”

Katara stirs, raising her head and looking blearily at him as her vision focuses. “Sokka? What’s going on?” She jolts up, attention immediately going to Aang on the bed just as she left him. Just as he’s been for days. “Did something happen to Aang?” She glances wildly about the room until her eyes land on her query. Seeing their friend is just fine, Katara relaxes.

“I brought dinner. I didn’t want to wake you, but I figured you’re hungry.”

Katara looks from him to the bowl and back again with uncertainty. “I’m not really--” and then her stomach betrays her with a rather loud grumbling. She flushes. “Uh, I guess I am, actually.”

Sokka chuckles, handing her the bowl and a pair of chopsticks. “You haven’t eaten all day, have you?”

She thinks for a moment as she takes her first bite of food. “No, I haven’t.”

He frowns. “You’ve been so worried about Aang you forgot to take care of yourself. You won’t be of any help to him if you keep that up.”

She sighs. “I know.”

“Besides, I don’t think you can do anything else for him now. I think we just have to give him time. Leave the rest up to him and let his body repair itself,” he assures her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re right,” she says, eyes on her food. “But I just…” She looks up at him. “You weren’t there when--when it happened. Sokka, it was so awful. I thought he--I’m still not sure if he’ll--” she chokes on her words, unable to finish the thought as tears overwhelm her. 

Sokka takes the bowl and chopsticks from her and sets them aside for her. With her hands free, Katara cups them over her face as she begins to let all the emotions she’s been bottling up out at last. Sokka kneels down in front of her, pulls her off the chair, and wraps her up in his arms. 

“The longer he’s like this, the more I wonder if he’s ever going to wake up and if I did enough.”

Sokka shushes her softly, shaking his head. “Katara, no. You did everything you could and more. You’re an amazing healer. You blow me away with how brave and strong and smart you are. And how much you’ve learned and grown with your water magic since we met Aang.” He adds the ‘water magic’ bit just to try to get her to laugh, since that’s what he had first called it before they met Aang. Thankfully, it works. Her shoulders shake as a little giggle escapes her lips between the sobs. 

“Sokka--”

“No, wait, I’m not finished,” he says, although he actually was. But the way she said his name tells him she’s about to object and so he knows he’s got to put a little more into his speech in order to make her believe it. Not that it’s hard to find the words. He doesn’t say it often, but he really is beyond proud of her. He could go on and on, just never in front of her. It’s the way of siblings to goad and tease each other when together but to secretly gush about them to others when they’re apart.

“Aang  _ will _ live and it’s gonna be all thanks to you. No one else could’ve done what you did. I don’t say it perhaps as much as I should, but I am so beyond proud of you and grateful for all that you do for me and the rest of the team. You hold us all together. Please don’t ever think you haven’t put your all into this because I  _ know _ you have.”

Katara raises her head, pulling away a little so she can meet his eyes. The sobbing has stopped but her eyes are still brimming with tears.

“Okay,  _ now _ I’m finished,” he adds, just in case that wasn’t clear. And because he knows it’ll get even just a chuckle out of her.

She smiles. “Thanks, Sokka.” She buries her head in his chest once more.

“Anytime, little sis.” Sokka strokes her hair, resting his cheek on the top of her head. He closes his eyes, taking the time to really appreciate this moment. He didn’t realize it until now, but he needed this almost as much as she did. With all the pressure they’ve been under, they’ve gotten little opportunity in a long while to just  _ feel _ .

A few minutes pass, and then “Sokka?”

He raises his head, opening his eyes. “Yeah?”

“I couldn’t ask for a better brother. I love you.”

Okay, now he’s getting a little misty eyed. Damn, he’s really failing at the whole Being Manly And Not Crying thing recently. 

“Love you, too, sis.”

Katara retrieves her bowl from the table and returns to the floor with him as she resumes her meal. They sit there talking until she’s finished, and then Sokka takes her utensils and offers to take them away to be cleaned, telling her she’s had a long enough day and he can manage.

She thanks him and follows him to the door.

“You should go sleep in your own room,” Sokka suggests.

Katara looks back at Aang, but then turns back to him and nods. “I guess so. It doesn’t seem like he’s waking up any time soon…” she still sounds uncertain, so Sokka places a hand on her shoulder and leads her out the door, shutting it behind her. He escorts her all the way to her room and helps her get settled into bed.

“Night, Katara.”

“Night, Sokka.”

He blows out the candle for her and leaves, closing the door behind him.

It’s not until he’s returned the utensils to the kitchen area that he realizes he never talked to her about her behavior toward their dad.

* * *

Three days later, the conversation has still yet to happen and Sokka has found little opportunity to speak alone with her. While Katara no longer spends all her time at Aang’s bedside, she’s taken to going off alone to practice her bending or...whatever it is Katara’s been doing. She seems to be looking for a distraction in any shape or form it might come in. She also avoids their father like he’s a plague, interacting with him only when absolutely necessary and only begrudgingly so.

She still doesn’t seem like quite herself. Toph, Bato, and of course their father notice it as well, but no one seems to be making any note of it to her. Bato treads carefully, but is probably leaving it to Sokka or his father to handle. Toph, who has always been a fist over feelings kinda gal, gladly assists Katara in finding distractions. Although she did come to Sokka yesterday to ask Sokka about why she’s acting funny. When he told her what he knows, she simply raised her hands up in a gesture of surrender and went, “Too touchy-feely for me. I’m stayin’ outta this one.” 

Sokka can’t say he blames her. He’s not really looking forward to the conversation himself. Probably part of the reason why it hasn’t happened yet, also.

But today gives them a totally new excuse: a couple of ships pass by and, to their horror, signals for them to stop for a captain to board.

“Everyone stay calm and go below decks. Bato and I will take care of this.”

“I’m staying, too,” Sokka insists. “I’ve got a uniform and helmet. I’ve studied the maps and know how they operate. I can help.”

“I don’t doubt it, Sokka, but your acting skills…” Bato says, awkwardly trailing off. Toph sniggers and Katara chuckles behind a hand over her mouth.

“Hey!” That causes another round of laughter and sniggering. “I can totally act! Dad, Bato, come on. Let me stay. I can do this.”

The two men look at each other, a whole conversation happening without a word being exchanged, then back at Sokka. They nod, and Sokka lets out a sigh of relief. 

“Alright, everyone else below decks, but stay ready in case the worst should happen,” His father instructs. Katara, Toph, and the others disappear. Sokka puts on the helmet, looking like the perfect Fire Nation soldier. It feels eerie, knowing he’s a firebender and knowing this is more or less the same uniform the man who attacked his mother and raided his village wore. Perhaps still wears today.

The gang plank is set up, creating a bridge between the two ships, and the captain along with two other soldiers come aboard.

* * *

That first encounter, along with the next two, go off without a hitch. The fourth, however, winds up with them having to cripple the ship and knock its crew into the water. It’ll take them time to reach land and get a chance to report what happened, giving them ample time to reach the Fire Nation. It would make Aang pleased to know they didn’t kill anyone doing it, too.

It’s been two and a half weeks and the airbender still hasn’t woken up, not even for a little bit. He and Toph stay up and talk about it one night as they both begin to fear he might never. Sokka tries to be optimistic, saying he believes in Katara’s healing and that he did wake up once. Perhaps he just needs more time. It was a pretty nasty injury.

Toph counters that she wants to believe that, too, but that they’ve also got to plan for the worst. “I’m just trying to be realistic,” she says. “I don’t want Aang to be...you know. But if he doesn’t wake up soon we’re gonna have to start thinking of what our next move will be without him.”

“I dunno, Toph...is there even a point if he’s gone?”

Toph folds her arms and stubbornly replies, “Well I refuse to believe that it’s up to one person, no matter how powerful they are--Avatar or not--to save the world. Aang’s never fought this war alone, Sokka. If he doesn’t come back, we have to move forward, anyway.”

Sokka smiles, bolstered by her words. He feels a renewed confidence well up inside him. “That’s pretty wise, Toph.”

She smirks. “I have my moments.”

* * *

The conversation with Toph inspires him to talk to Katara the next morning. She’s checking up on Aang, worry in her eyes and brows scrunched in concern. She has a deep frown on her face as she holds a hand over Aang, who she’s turned over onto his back, hand encased in water and glowing. He can see Aang’s nasty, pink puckered scar faintly glowing, too.

“Hey,” he softly greets her, hoping not to startle her or break her concentration.

“Hey,” she absently replies, focused on her work.

Sokka waits for her to finish whatever it is she’s doing to talk again, knowing healing requires great focus.

“I was trying to see if I could get a sense of how he’s recovering and to do a little healing session,” she explains, gently rolling Aang back into place. She turns to him.

“And?” Sokka inquires hopefully.

Katara frowns. “He’s not any worse, but he’s not really any better, either. We still just have to wait it out, I think.”

“...it’s been nearly three weeks,” Sokka can’t help but say with a matching frown.

Katara bows her head, looking over her shoulder at a sleeping Aang. “I know.”

“Sorry,” Sokka says, hearing the guilt and pain in her voice. “I’m just worried about him, too. But it’s not like there’s a manual on how to heal the Avatar from a lightning strike or whatever. You’re doing everything you can with what little resources you have.”

“I don’t have  _ any _ resources,” Katara flatly replies. 

Sokka’s cheeks flood pink. “Right.  _ Which _ ,” he says, tone brightening as he awkwardly tries to redirect, “makes it even  _ more _ impressive!”

Katara gives him The Look and he sighs, sobering up again. “Do I have to do the speech again?” She rolls her eyes and assures him that no, that’s not necessary. “Are you sure?” He says, raising a skeptical eyebrow at her.

“Yes,” she firmly replies, and Sokka lets it drop.

“Alright. Well, if that’s the case, there’s one other thing I wanted to talk about.” She gives him her undivided attention. Sokka takes a deep breath and starts, “It’s about dad--” and immediately gets a huff of disgust and another roll of her eyes.

Katara folds her arms. “I don’t have anything to say about him.” She spitefully avoids his gaze.

“Katara, I know that’s not true. You’ve barely spoken with him, you always find reasons to leave when he’s in the same room...There’s something going on and I’m just trying to figure out what. Dad doesn’t understand why you’re upset and as long as he doesn’t, there’s no way for him to go about fixing things.”

Her eyes snap up toward him. “Well he  _ should _ know. Tell him to figure it out himself!”

“Alright, fine, I’ll leave it to him, but at least talk to me about it; tell me what you’re thinking. I can help.”

“You should know. It affects you, too.” Well, that’s a step in the right direction. She seems to be opening up a bit.

“What does?”

“The fact that he left!” she suddenly shouts, waving her hands angrily.

Sokka balks. “That’s what this is about?” Realization dawns on him.

“Of course that’s what it’s about!”

“I don’t--I don’t get it.”

Katara growls, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment before meeting his eyes once more and going off on the rant he knows she’s been building up to. “He left us alone to raise ourselves and to take care of the village, and we didn’t know if he was even ever coming back! He left and now he’s back and acting like things are completely normal! Like we’re not different people! Older, more experienced, more--”

“Traumatized? I mean, we’ve seen some--”

“Exactly! He thinks we can’t handle ourselves but that’s exactly what he left us alone to do! And just after we lost mom!” Ouch. Spirits, it hurts when she mentions mom. It hurts in more ways than one: there’s love, there’s loss, there’s guilt, there’s shame…

Sokka closes his eyes in the hopes of stopping the tears welling up in his eyes. The fact that Katara has already begun crying in the midst of her rant and the occasional hitch in her voice makes it all the more difficult.

“It’s been nearly three weeks and I haven’t even heard an apology! I mean, I get why he did it. I don’t hate him for it, but I just wish he would--ugh!”

“Acknowledge it?” Sokka finishes softly for her.

She nods. “Yes! He just expects to understand, and we do--of  _ course _ , we do. We’re proud and we would’ve done the same if we were old enough. I mean, you wanted to  _ even then _ but couldn’t because you were too young--but some kind of acknowledgement or apology would be  _ really _ nice, y’know?!” her tone is shrill now, her words thick with feeling, her eyes red and face tear-stained. It hurts to see her like this, to know she’s been bottling all this up all this time, but he’s glad she’s finally getting it out there.

Then again, who is he to talk about pent-up thoughts and feelings?

“Yeah,” he quietly agrees. “Yeah, I know. I get it. It wasn’t easy to grow up without him. I missed him so much. And yeah, we were still grieving over mom.” He pauses, really thinking hard about it for the first time and suddenly finding a whole new string of thoughts and feelings stretched out for him to process and consider. “I suppose I didn’t really think about it like that or felt anger towards him because I was so focused on making him proud. He gave me the responsibility of watching out for you and the entire village. I channeled all my grief and frustration and hopes into that. Into training and building fortifications and then teaching the other boys. I knew one day I was gonna see him again and join him, and I wanted to be ready for when that day came.”

Katara’s eyes widen. “Oh, Sokka. Sokka, I’m such an idiot, I’m sorry!” She leaps up off the edge of the bed toward him, embracing him and holding him tight. “I was so focused on what I was feeling I--I didn’t even think about what it was like for you! Spirits, and I never even asked how it went at Chameleon Bay before--” she raises her head just enough to spot Aang out of the corner of her eye. “I mean, I’m sure you made him proud, but how was it?”

Sokka’s taken aback for a moment, but then softens and returns her embrace. Stroking her hair, he assures her there are no hard feelings. He gets it, she’s been pretty distracted. “Katara, it’s okay, I understand! You’ve been dealing with a  _ lot _ . So have I.” He thinks back to his visit before everything went to shit in Ba Sing Se. “I was so nervous, but he was so proud. He was  _ extremely _ proud of you. You should’ve seen his face when I told him you were Aang’s waterbending master,” he laughs. 

Katara wrenches herself free just enough to look up at him, laughing but blinking in disbelief. “You told him about that?”

“I told him everything. He asked how we became friends with Aang and I just went from there. I...may have gushed a bit…” he says, cheeks reddening. He rubs a hand along his neck sheepishly. She giggles. “That might be part of why he’s acting like he hasn’t missed so much. I kinda gave a lot of detail…”

Katara folds her arms, smirking, “Yeah, that sounds like you...You do  _ not _ know how to be concise…”

Sokka playfully pushes her away, holding her at arm’s length as he feigns an expression of deep pain. “You wound me.”

Katara giggles some more. “It’s true, though! Your storytelling skills need some work.”

Sokka clutches his heart and sinks to the floor. Katara sighs, acting annoyed at his melodramatics, but secretly he knows she’s getting a huge kick out of this. “How could you be  _ so _ !  _ Cold _ !” he moans from the floor.

Katara pauses, groaning. “Really? That’s the joke you’re going with?”

Sokka inches an eye open and blinks at her, his theatrics forgotten. “Actually, that was entirely accidental.”

Hands on her hips, Katara sighs. It’s the long-suffering, Why Do I Have This Idiot For A Brother? kind. “So- _ kkaaaaaaa _ !”

Laughter comes pouring out of him, crescendoing as she struggles to lift him up off the floor.

After letting her struggle for a few moments, Sokka finally gets to his feet. As the laughter dies down, Sokka shifts back to the conversation at hand--no, not the one about his storytelling skills, but the one about their father. He sits down on the edge of the bed and motions for her to follow by patting the space beside him. Only after she’s sat down does he speak. “I think Dad might also be trying to just...move forward. He knows he’s missed a lot and I don’t think he likes to dwell on it. It probably hurts him as much as it hurts us. I saw it when I was telling him about my ice dodging trial. He was so proud but he was also so devastated to have missed it.”

“That’s a good point,” Katara sighs.

“Regardless, I think you should try to lighten up on him a bit. Try talking to him and telling him how you feel. He probably doesn’t realize how it’s been affecting you. I didn’t, and I know you better than anyone.”

She nods. “You’re right. I suppose it’s time I let him know and give him a chance…”

“That’s my sister,” Sokka warmly replies. Katara grabs his hand and squeezes it. Sokka wraps an arm around her and pulls her in so her head rests in the crook of his neck. “If you want, I’ll be there. If not, I’ll still be there if you want to talk about it after.”

“Thanks, Sokka.” She gives him another squeeze before disentangling herself from his arms and rising to her feet.

“Where can I find him?”

* * *

Sokka doesn’t run into Katara again until dinner. He’s nervous at first when he sees everyone circled up and chatting, wondering if his talk with her has worked or not. He hears a light bubbly laugh and grins. That’s Katara’s laugh. It’s a good sign.

Stepping into the circle and serving himself, Sokka’s relieved and delighted to see Katara engaging in conversation with their father and Bato and everyone else. The tension he’s felt permeating the air for weeks is gone.

He takes a seat and as Bato regales them with one of his tales, their father meets his eyes. His expression speaks volumes, belaying gratitude, relief, pride...there’s a lot to unpack but all of it’s good. It makes Sokka’s heart swell to know he’s responsible for putting it there and that the pride is reserved for him.

If only he could get himself to be open with their father, too. He thinks of what Iroh said about blood and family, as well as what he said about Hakoda being the kind of man who would love his son regardless of his parentage. Looking at his father now, Sokka can’t imagine this man would reject him.

But…

But there are the current circumstances to consider. Why take away his joy at reconnecting with Katara only to upset him again? They’ll be parting ways again soon, Sokka and the team heading into the Fire Nation and make their way to the capitol while his father rounds up old allies of theirs to help with the invasion. It’s hardly fair to drop this revelation on him and then run off into the Fire Nation.

Sokka tells himself that it’s all of these things that are keeping him from telling his dad the truth, but the real answer is much simpler: he’s afraid. As much as he believes he’s Hakoda’s son no matter who his birth father is, Sokka’s still scared of the rejection.

“Sokka! You never told me about getting your butt kicked by the Kyoshi Warriors!” Bato says, drawing his attention from his thoughts.

“I have got to hear this story,” Toph says like a grown moose lion ready to pounce on its prey.

Cheeks flaring, Sokka whips his head accusingly around to Katara, knowing only she could have told him that. She grins wickedly, thinking she’s embarrassed him thoroughly as siblings love to do to each other. Except he’s grown a lot since he first met Suki. He’s not ashamed of it anymore.

Deciding to play it cool, Sokka shrugs. They’re waiting for the explanation. “I did. I thought I knew how to fight and girls didn’t, but Suki and the warriors taught me a lot about fighting. And about respecting girls.”

“I still wish you could’ve seen him in the full outfit and makeup,” Katara amusedly tells them.

“Makeup?” Hakoda raises a brow.

“It’s times like these that I wish I had working eyes.”

“After I got my butt kicked, I realized I didn’t know as much as I thought I did and that they could teach me a lot. I asked Suki to train me and she agreed, but only if I wore the traditional uniform. Every part of it.”

“It takes guts to admit you’re wrong and to seek help,” Bato says.

“Indeed it does,” Hakoda agrees. “Perhaps you can show me some of the things you learned later. A good warrior is always open to learning new techniques.”

Sokka grins like a buffoon. “That’d be great! I haven’t gotten to learn much from her, but I’ll show you what I got.”

“Dad, Sokka’s also invented some pretty cool stuff. He’s working on some designs for the invasion, too,” Katara pipes up.

Sokka looks at her questioningly. First she tries to embarrass him, now she’s gushing about his engineering skills? Ugh, sisters.

This makes both Hakoda and Bato perk up. Sokka launches into an explanation of his inventions, but a loud and exaggerated groan interrupts him.

All eyes snap over to Toph. “I’m trying to eat here. Not sleep. Save it for later, Ponytail.”

Grumbling, he assents to her request, telling his father and Bato that he’ll tell them later and be sure to bring his diagrams, too.

“He’s a real artist,” Toph brightly chimes in, and Sokka grins and begins to thank her before his expression flattens into one of utter dismay as he realizes what she’s done. 

“I really hate when you do that.”

Amidst bursts of laughter, Toph answers, “I can’t help it! It gets you  _ every _ time!”

Looking utterly put out by this whole exchange, Sokka grumpily stuffs food in his face. Food is usually a good remedy to any problem. Especially if that food is meat.

Later on, as he’s about to head to bed, his father comes to visit.

“You spoke to your sister about me.” Of  _ course _ he did. “Thank you.” Without warning, Hakoda pulls him into a tight embrace and patting him warmly on the back. “I was beginning to think she’d be mad at me forever.”

“Nah, she would’ve brooded a little longer but eventually she would’ve come to you herself. She never would’ve stayed mad. Her heart’s too big for that.”

Hakoda’s face brightens and he smiles. “Just like her mother,” he absently notes, missing the way Sokka’s eyes glaze over as he thinks of her, too, and of the secret they both shared. His throat tightens, his heart grows heavy. 

“She’s a lot like her.” The words tumble out of his mouth without his really thinking about it. He immediately regrets it, casting his eyes to the ground.

His dad places a hand on his shoulder and it’s comforting. But there’s a niggling sense of guilt inside that still bugs him. That makes him feel like he doesn’t deserve that fatherly touch and not because he’s not Hakoda’s son in every way that counts, but because he’s lied. He and his mother.

“I miss her, too. She’d be just as proud as I am of the both of you.” Is it weird to believe more in the assumption that your dead mom is proud of you than in the actual affirmation that your very-much-alive father gives you that he’s proud of you? Because Sokka feels like it is, and yet that’s very much the case here. 

Frowning, Sokka looks up at him. “Dad, I gotta tell you something…”

Hakoda’s brows crease. “What is it?” He must see the conflict in his eyes, because his features soften and gives him a reassuring little smile. “You know you can tell me anything.” Spirits, he wishes his father did look so open and supportive and...unsuspecting.

He swallows. “Dad, before mom...before she died, we--”

“Hakoda!” A man’s voice shouts from the hall. Sounds like Kanaaq. 

The pair of them go to the door and peer out into the hall to see Kanaaq at the end of it, gazing around. “Hakoda!” He calls again as he spots them. “Bato and I thought we should come and get you. There’s a storm rolling in as well as a navy ship approaching. We should get ready to play the ruse again just in case, and have everyone at the ready in case they don’t buy it.”

Hakoda nods. “C’mon, Sokka. We’ll have to finish this later.” Grabbing his Fire Navy helmet, Sokka follows after them up to the main deck.

Dammit, he was finally about to tell the truth!

* * *

The opportunity to spill it all to his father doesn’t come again. They’re busy planning and mapping and strategizing, discussing Sokka’s inventions (and rudely criticizing the lack of artistic skill in his drawings--he’d like to see one of them try to do better!), and talking about the skills of each of the allies Sokka has told them to gather. He tells them about the swamp guys and Hu’s ability to bend vines, Teo and his father, Haru and his father…

They’re gathered around a map sitting on top of a crate one evening, going over the invasion plan for the fiftieth time and feeling pretty confident about it when something wooden-sounding clatters across the metal deck and lands by his father’s feet.

Sokka’s eyes widen as he recognizes the object.

“Momo?” The animal in question, sitting on Hakoda’s shoulder a moment ago, chirps in delight and leaps toward the voice. Everyone’s eyes snap up to the stairway leading up to the deck.

To their great surprise and relief, a very not dead Aang shakily picks himself up off the ground and begins to take in his surroundings. Momo lands on his shoulder, licking his cheek.

Grinning from ear to ear, Sokka quickly gets to his feet as Pipsqueak and Haru come running up from the stairs, still dressed in Fire Navy getup. Toph and Katara flock over upon hearing the commotion, as well.

“Aang, you’re awake!” Katara cries excitedly.

They gather around him, hugging him tight and expressing their relief to see him awake again at last. 

“Aang, good to see you back with the living, buddy,” Sokka cheerfully greets, wrapping his arms around the airbender.

Aang blearily gazes up at him, blinking slowly. “Sokka?” He smiles back at him, but Aang begins to pale and wobble on his feet. His eyes languidly open and close, and Sokka’s pretty sure--

“Uh-oh! Somebody catch him, he’s gonna--!” Toph warns, and Katara reaches out, but it’s too late.

Everyone looks down at Aang, unconscious once more.

Sokka frowns. “Was it something I said?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I won't be posting an update next week, but I hope you enjoy the extra long chapter! 
> 
> As always, let me know what you think! I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I feel like it's a bit of a departure from the story line but it also helps fill the characters in some more which is always nice. And we get to see some interactions between characters that I think everyone would like to see more of or were hoping to see in the show.
> 
> Also, I realize Katara's still working through her stuff with her dad until later in the episode when Aang stupidly tries to fly off into the storm, but I tweaked that a bit because 1. I wanted to Sokka to have more of a part in them fixing that (cause he totally would), and 2. I thought it made more sense. Also, 3. I wanted to add a little bit more of an explanation as to why she was so upset since I think the show didn't get much of an opportunity to do that.
> 
> Aaaaand don't be mad at me for having Sokka nearly tell his dad the truth only to be interrupted and then separated by their separate journeys leading up to the invasion before he gets the chance. SORRY NOT SORRY!


	12. Sokka's Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling useless compared to the others on Team Avatar, Sokka falls into despair until he's introduced to Master Piandao and learns the way of the sword. But when Piandao says he's the worthiest man he's ever trained, Sokka can't keep his lips sealed shut any longer and the truth comes tumbling out. But how will Sokka's experience here influence his decision on telling everyone about his firebending?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I want to thank you guys SO much for the lovely reviews! I also want to say thanks for being so patient and letting me take this last week off to get some writing done. Wasn't as productive as I'd hoped, but it helped. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm nervous about the sword fight between Sokka and Piandao, and I kinda used the transcript from this episode as a basis for writing it. Fights aren't my strong suit, though, so I apologize if the writing is hard to follow or really clunky or what have you. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It’s times like these, where he’s standing on the sidelines as his friends use their powerful bending to stop disaster from striking, that he really wishes he knew how to firebend. Here he is, standing with Momo perched on his shoulder, completely useless as the others save a village from a fire. When some sparks fly and catch fire on multiple patches of grass around him, Momo leaps off his shoulder as Sokka whips out his club and beats the fire out. He turns to get the other patches, but sees they’ve already been taken out. By  _ Momo _ .

Well, that’s it, then. He really is useless.

Sokka drops to the ground and sets his weapon aside. 

Dejected, he watches the others as they work. Katara flies overhead on Appa with an orb of water she uses to shower a huge patch of flames. Toph waves her arms in a complicated movement that results in a giant slab of earth upending itself and rolling over several times to stomp over another section of the fire. Sour-faced, Sokka watches the rock slab tumble by. He leans back on his palms, the feeling of helplessness rising and rising until--

“Sokka!” He perks up at hearing Aang’s voice. “Get back!” The Avatar now has the orb of water Katara was wielding and is beginning to move it about. Scrambling to his feet, Momo on his shoulder, Sokka moves. Aang finishes out the movement.

“Right. Get back. Got it.” His shoulders slump forward and he sinks to the ground once more.

Momo makes a little chirp of pity and then, just to add insult to injury, pats Sokka on the head. Sokka turns his gaze toward the lemur and pouts. “And now I’m getting sympathy from a lemur. Fantastic.”

A moment later, something startles the flying lemur and he hurriedly takes flight, abandoning him. “You’re a real comf--aurgh!” His rebuke of the animal is cut short as a wave of water comes crashing down over him, soaking him through. “Thanks for the warning,  _ Momo _ !” he calls as Momo swoops back around and lands on his shoulder once more. He licks at the water on Sokka’s head. He scowls, looking upward in Momo’s direction. “ _ Not _ .”

Arms crossed and his whole body soaked, Sokka watches as a sphere of water in the center of the flaming crater expands, growing and growing until it bursts and turns to snow. A sprinkling of snow flutters down over the area and he loses sight for a moment as he’s quickly covered in the unexpected flurry.

“Good work, everybody,” he hears the muffled voice of Aang say to the group.

Sokka pops out from beneath the pile he’s been buried under. He sees Momo sliding by on the ice that has covered the ground as a result of the snow, chirping as he goes. “Yeah, good work,” Sokka grumbles, pulling himself out.

The rest of the gang turn their heads to find him standing there, scowling, but they can’t help but giggle at the sight of him.

“Oh, Sokka,” Katara coos.

“I said ‘get back’,” Aang says, sounding apologetic. “Do you--?” he gestures to all of him, offering to dry him off.

He shakes his head. “I’m fine.”

It’s only as they head back to camp that Sokka realizes that the reason he didn’t need to take Aang up on his offer was because he’d already, unknowingly, taken care of it himself.

* * *

Although he’s felt this sense of uselessness before, the feeling has only grown since they left Ba Sing Se. Perhaps if he was able to bend he could have done more. Perhaps if he had done a better job as the Idea Guy, they could’ve stopped Azula from taking the city. 

He knows it’s not  _ all _ his fault, but...he doesn’t feel like he’s doing much of anything lately to  _ help _ the team, either. 

The most useful he’s felt in weeks is when he posed as Aang’s father when he was attending that crazy strict Fire Nation school. 

The feeling eats at him when he tucks in that night, keeping him up most of the night. It keeps gnawing away throughout the morning until they make their way into town for lunch. And finally, it swallows him whole as they begin conversing during their meal.

“These people have no idea how close they were to getting toasted last night,” Aang says.

Sokka sits on the edge of the floor by himself, tray forgotten at his side. He shifts forward, resting his elbow on his knee and head in his palm.  _ Can they talk about  _ anything _ else?  _ Anything _ but this,  _ he thinks to himself. 

“Yeah, the worst thing about being in disguise is we don't get the hero worship anymore. I miss the love.” Toph says, sighing.

Rolling his eyes, Sokka can’t help but sarcastically retort, “Boo-hoo, poor heroes.”

He can’t see them, but he can feel all three pairs of eyes on him. 

“What’s your problem?” Katara probes. “You haven’t even touched your smoked sea slug.”

Sokka sighs, glancing over his shoulder before bowing his head again. “It’s just…” he hesitates. As down as he feels right now, he doesn’t really feel like talking about it. Not with them, anyway. How could they understand? But knowing them --especially Katara-- they’re not going to stop prying until he does. “All you guys can do this awesome bending stuff like putting out forest fires, flying around...making _ other stuff  _ fly around. I can't fly around, ok?” He swallows, feeling a lump in his throat growing and trying to push the tears of frustration that are bound to follow away. “I can’t do anything,” he finishes quietly.

Katara responds without missing a beat. “That’s not true! No one can read a map like you.”

“I can’t read at all!”

That’s nothing. They’re just placating him and they’re flailing for things to add.

“Yeah,” Aang agrees, “and who keeps us laughing with great jokes and sarcastic comments all the time? I mean, look at Katara's hair, right?” Sokka doesn’t see whatever it is that Aang is doing or trying to point out about his sister’s hair, but he doesn’t care. “What’s up with that?”

The comment derails her. “What? What’s wrong with my hair?!”

He can hear Aang backtracking. Hard. “Nothing! Nothing, I was just trying to…” he stammers.

Sensing that this will only further spiral out of control if it continues, Sokka tiredly steps in. He turns his head to see Katara with her hands on her head, trying to cover up whatever imperfection Aang’s terrible joke has made her think she has. “Look, I appreciate the effort, but the fact is that each of you is so  _ amazing _ and  _ special _ , and I'm... _ not _ .” He turns back away from them, head hanging low. His hands fall into his lap. “I'm just the guy in the group who’s ordinary and useless.”

“Woah, hold up. I may tease you about it sometimes, but you’re  _ not _ useless!” Toph pipes up, sounding impassioned all of a sudden. 

Sokka shakes his head. “You guys don’t need to pretend, it’s fine. I should be used to it by now.”

“Sokka…” Aang begins, but he’s at a loss for words.

Quiet footsteps come up behind him. Katara’s. She sits down next to him. He doesn’t look up, but he sees the rich red fabric of her skirt pool around her as she swings her legs over the side to join his. She leans in so they’re shoulder to shoulder. Sokka has half a mind to nudge her away, but it seems like a lot of effort. He doesn’t have the energy to actually do it. “I'm sorry you're feeling so down, but I hope you know that  _ none _ of us see you that way.”

“Yeah, really,” Aang adds.

“Just because you can’t bend doesn’t mean you’re not special,” Toph says. “You can do things  _ none _ of us can do.”

“That’s right,” Katara says. She places a hand on his shoulder. “And I think I know just the thing that’ll make you feel better.”

He looks over at her, curious as to what she thinks could possibly help.

“Well, I’m gonna need you to eat first,” she says, gesturing to the forgotten sea slug on the tray on the other side of him.

Sokka looks over at it, frowning. He turns back to Katara. “I really don’t feel like eating, Katara.”

“Wow, you’re  _ definitely _ depressed if you’re not up to eating. I’ve never seen you turn down food!” says Toph.

“Well, you have now.”

“Are you sure?” His sister gently asks.

“Just tell me what it is you think is gonna make me feel better already.”

Her turn to frown. “Well it’s not here. You’re gonna have to get up off the floor if you wanna see.” She gets to her feet, then offers a hand to him. He reluctantly takes it, sighing as he stands.

They all smile encouragingly.

“I’m finished,” Toph says, swallowing the last of her dumplings. “Let’s go!”

“Me, too,” Aang says, voice muffled and barely comprehensible through the wad of bread in his mouth. He gulps it down, eyes watering a little. He punches a fist into the air. “Off to--” he falters, hand falling to his side. “Where are we going, exactly?” he asks, turning to Katara.

“It’s a surprise,” she says, putting an arm around Sokka and leading them away from the restaurant.

“Off to...a surprise!” Aang tries again, but it doesn’t have quite the same effect.

She takes them down the road to a place he didn’t realize they passed on the way into town. “It’s a weapons shop,” she rather needlessly explains. It’s pretty clear by the items displayed outside and in the window.

Sokka’s heart lifts. He  _ does _ love shopping...Yeah, maybe this _ is _ what he needs. A new weapon! He’s nowhere  _ near  _ ready to use firebending and, even if he could, he still has to work up the nerve to tell everyone he can. Plus, bending just isn’t really his thing. He feels far more at home relying on his wit and his warrior skills than on bending.

And if he wants to be a warrior, he’s going to have to get some new weapons, anyway. All his current ones  _ are _ pretty obviously water tribe, after all… 

Everybody’s eyes are on him, waiting for his reaction, and at last he delivers. “Shopping!” he cheers, clapping his hands together in delight. He can hear them all sigh a little in relief. He runs ahead, one rack to the left catching his eye. The others follow and fan out, perusing the shop on their own as he makes a selection.

“Maybe I just need a little something to help reinvigorate my battling! Something like this, maybe?” He absently says to himself as he picks up a spear. He practices wielding it in a few different positions, not quite feeling it. He holds it aloft and runs with it across the length of the shop, testing how it feels to move with it. “Too long,” he says, walking back over to the rack he plucked it from. “And too floppy,” he adds, giving the spear a shake and watching it jiggle with distaste.

He continues this process, going through spears, nunchucks, clubs, maces, machetes, chains, daggers, a guandao, a sai, a pair of cutlasses, and even throwing stars like that Mai chick has. None of them feel quite right.

And then he spots it, a sword rack on the far wall with one prized piece displayed above all the others. Sokka races up to it, digging his toes into the floor as he raises himself up to get as close a look as he can at it.

“Now _ that’s _ what Sokka’s talkin’ ‘bout,” he whispers in awe as he eyes the details in the hilt and the intricate dragon carved into the scabbard. “Wow.” He hears the others gather around behind him, taking in the beauty of the sword, as well.

“Meh,” Toph says, standing behind them with her arms folded and a look of complete disinterest.

Sokka grits his teeth and glances back at her, unappreciative. “ _ Why _ ?” he hisses, but gets no answer.

“You’ve got a good eye,” the shopkeeper behind the counter says. He comes over, gazing at the blade appreciatively. “That's an original from Piandao, the greatest sword master and maker in Fire Nation history. He lives in the big castle up the road from here. This here’s just for display, so if you want one for yourself, you’re gonna have to go see him and hope he takes you on as a student. He seldom takes ‘em, though. Best of luck to you, kid.” He walks away.

“That’s it, Sokka! That’s what you needed all along!” Aang says.

Sokka’s brow scrunches up. He’s not understanding. “Aang, you heard the guy. This sword isn’t for sale.”

“I don’t mean the sword, Sokka. I mean a master!” he says as Sokka plucks the sword gingerly off the wall. He pulls the sword slowly from its sheath and examines it as the others chime in. “You should study with this Piandao guy. We’ve all had masters to help us, and now it’s your turn.”

Katara nods enthusiastically. “That’s a great idea! I never could’ve gotten where I am today without Master Pakku. Everyone needs a teacher, bender or not.”

_ She does have a point… _ “Dad and the others  _ did  _ leave before I could really learn anything from them…” Sokka thinks aloud.

“That’s right! You’re totally self-taught. And you’re great, but imagine what this Master Piandao could teach you!” Katara says.

“I learned from badger moles. They don’t talk, but they’re still great teachers,” Toph says. Interest piqued, Sokka makes a note to ask her more about that later. 

He holds the blade out in front of him, testing the feel of it; its weight, its balance. It feels  _ right. _ His chest swells with excitement at the idea of learning from Piandao. Of becoming a master swordsman. “It  _ would _ be nice to be a master sword fighter…” he says wistfully. 

But he frowns as he remembers the schedule he’s made for them detailing their route to the Fire Nation capital for the invasion. Sticking around here so he can learn sword fighting is selfish. He can’t jeopardize their time table no matter how badly he wants this. He deflates like a hot air balloon with a hole in it, shoulders slumping forward. “But I can’t. We’ve got a schedule to stick to and we don’t even know if this sword master will even accept me as a student! You heard the shopkeeper: he hardly ever takes on students.”

“We’ve got time, Sokka. It’s worth a shot. I’m sure you can convince him to let you.”

The others nod in agreement with Aang.

Katara steps forward and puts a hand on his shoulder. Sokka averts her eyes, staring down at the gleaming blade in his hands. “I know you want this,” she says softly. “We’re saying it’s okay and we can make it work. Let yourself have this.”

Sokka slowly looks up at her. He sighs, letting loose the tension he’s been holding in. “Okay.” Katara, Aang, and Toph look pleased, matching grins spread across their faces.

* * *

Master Piandao’s castle is imposing from the outside. There’s a giant wall around the premises, leaving visitors to speculate what all lay beyond it and the large ornate gates beyond the tip of a tall building that looks like it may be the main one on the grounds.

Sokka makes his way up the hill that leads up to the sprawling estate and raises his hand to knock, freezing when he realizes it’s shaking.  _ Relax, Sokka! It’s not like you’re knocking on the Fire Lord’s palace gates. The worst Piandao can do is say no. _

He steadies his hand, takes a deep breath, and-- nothing happens. He frowns, knocking again. Still no reply. He looks around, wondering  _ what gives?!  _ Then with a huff, he grabs a hold of both brass door knockers and rapidly bangs them upon the door. It’s a full on assault. Totally rude of him. But Sokka’s desperate and impatient and he’s not leaving here without trying when his friends have put aside time for him to do this.

A grey-haired man with a slight belly and a stern expression suddenly opens the door, startling him. “Can I help you?” He doesn’t seem amused.  _ Okay, yeah, maybe not the smartest move…  _ Yikes. He hasn’t even walked through the door and he’s probably already blown his chance.

He composes himself, assuming a more dignified persona.  _ Salvage it...salvage it... _ He holds his head high and straightens his back. Bowing, he answers, “I’ve come to train with Master Piandao.”

The butler is unimpressed. “You should know the master turns almost everyone away.” Seeing that Sokka is undeterred, he gives a resigned huff and holds his hands out. “Very well. What did you bring to prove him your worth?”

He blinks. “What did I…? Right, of course, uh...just a sec…” His hands fumble over his clothes desperately, hoping he’s kept something good tucked away. 

“Right,” the butler replies, voice oozing with disapproval and annoyance. He shakes his head. “Let’s get this over with.” He motions for Sokka to follow.

A beautiful courtyard opens up to them just beyond the gates. Around him there are several different structures that compose the estate, but they’re headed for what must be the main one straight ahead. It’s the tallest of the buildings, and as they approach Sokka sees that it’s got a rich red carpet and tall windows that cover an entire wall. The windows, lined with candles, showcase a breathtaking view of the valley below.

Master Piandao sits in the center of the room at a low table, back facing them, in the midst of practicing his calligraphy. 

Sokka stands still, waiting for a prompt from the butler or for Piandao to turn around and address him. Neither happens, but he does see the master’s hands move. It looks like he’s put the brush down. He takes it as an opening to address Piandao.

With one more glance over at the butler in vain, Sokka steps forward and bows deeply. The master isn’t looking at him, but Sokka gets the sense this guy has eyes on the back of his head. Better be safe. “Master, my name is Sokka and I wish to be instructed in the ways of the sword.”

Piandao keeps his back to him. “Sokka. That’s an unusual name…” he muses.  _ Shit, should’ve used Wang Fire! Stupid Sokka!  _ Nervously, he spots the sword sitting by Piandao’s side.  _ What if he figures me out and slices me open? _

Ignoring the sweat beading across his forehead, Sokka shoots for a casual air.  _ Just act natural,  _ he tells himself. “Uh, really? ‘Cause uh...where I come from, the Fire Nation colonies, it’s a pretty normal name. For Fire Nation colonials.” He chuckles. “There are  _ soooo _ many Sokkas.”

Piandao doesn’t say anything and Sokka still can’t see his face, but somehow he can tell just how much this guy  _ isn’t _ buying this.  _ Shit.  _ But the master says nothing more about it, moving on. Sokka blinks in confusion, but he sure isn’t gonna be the one to say anything! Piandao resumes his calligraphy. “Let me guess. You’ve come hundreds of miles from your little village where you’re the best swordsman in town and you think you deserve to learn from the master because you want the title of master swordsman.”

He’s taken aback by Piandao’s jaded attitude, although if that’s the type of person who normally comes here, he can understand why.  _ So that’s why he’s just going about his business. He and his butler think this’ll take just two minutes. He’s just a nuisance to them.  _ “Well, no. But I’ve been all around the world…” he starts, pausing when he hears a sigh.

“Yep, here we go.” Sokka can  _ hear _ his eyes rolling. 

But Sokka isn’t cowed. In fact, he’s ashamed to admit this to a master swordsman but he knows he needs to be honest about his skill and prove he’s  _ different  _ from all the others if he wants this man to help him. “And I know one thing for sure…” Sokka gets down on his hands and knees, bowing his head in humility and embarrassment. “I have a  _ lot _ to learn.”

“You’re not doing a very good job of selling yourself.”

He dips his head a little lower. “I know. Your butler told me that I would have to prove my worth to you but the truth is...I don’t really know if I  _ am _ worthy.” And here it comes, he’s sure of it. This is where the master will nod to his butler, who will tap him on the shoulder and signal him to retreat back to the gate if he doesn’t straight up haul Sokka’s unworthy ass right out of there himself. Sokka will return to camp and tell everyone he told them so. At least their time table will be more or less unaffected.

The master hums. “I see. Well, then…” Here it comes. ‘Get out,’ ‘You’ll never be worthy,’ ‘You’re the worst to ever set foot upon my doorstep.’ Sokka hears the sound of metal sliding over wood, then the shuffling sound of Piandao rising to his feet, and  _ Oh no, it’s worse, he’s figured me out and he’s gonna slice me right down the middle for infiltrating the Fire Nation!  _ Sweat is dripping down past his collar now. Surely there’s an unflattering sheen of it coating his face, too.

A shadow passes over him, and Sokka sees feet in his periphery. He picks his head up sharply at the sound of the blade striking the floor. “Let’s find out together how worthy you really are.” He’s standing right in front of Sokka, hands on the hilt of his sword which is planted firmly in front of him. “I  _ will  _ train you.”

Sokka’s eyes bulge.  _ Wait, really? So he’s  _ not _ gonna slice me in half? _ A huge, delighted grin spreads across his face.

The master holds out a hand, offering to help Sokka to his feet. He takes it.

* * *

Hours of training later, Sokka sits on the steps of the main building beside Piandao with a drink in hand. He’s just finished facing off with Fat, the butler, for the second time. Except this time he’s won. Apparently, it’s earned him a moment’s reprieve.

“Tell me about the training you received, Sokka. Back in the...colonies.”

Sokka blinks, turning to look at him. “Well,” he thinks for a moment, “I only learned the very basics from my father and the men of my village before they left to fight in the war. I was left alone because I was too young. Most of what I know is self-taught.”

“Hmmm. That  _ does _ explain a lot.”

Narrowing his eyes at the swordsman, Sokka retorts, “I did what I could with what little I had.”

“You misunderstand me,” Piandao tells him calmly. “You mustn’t sell yourself short or judge yourself so harshly, Sokka. Being self-trained is not something to be ashamed of. You clearly have a real determination to prove yourself and help others. I admire that.”

He certainly never expected to hear that. It leaves him speechless, unsure of what to say. “I...I suppose that’s true. After the men left, I just wanted to make my father proud and protect our village. I wanted him to be proud of me when he came home.”

“And was he?”

“He said he is but…” He pauses. His father told him he couldn’t be more proud, but Sokka’s still not totally sure. That’s why he’s here. He still feels useless. “...But I’m not sure  _ I _ believe it yet.”

Piandao puts a calloused hand on his shoulder. “You should have more faith in yourself, Sokka. I’ve only known you a day, but I know this much: you’ve had a good first day of training and I have enough faith in you to say that you’re ready for a real sword.”

“I am? But I thought I messed up everything we did today. I only barely won the match against Fat, I painted a totally inaccurate picture of the waterfall--”

“You messed it up in a very  _ special _ way. While it’s not conventional or perhaps impressive in the eyes of most, I see a creativity and resourcefulness that rivals even the best of swordsmen.”

“Do you--? Are you--?  _ Really _ ?”

The master nods. “Follow me.”

* * *

The room Piandao has brought him to is filled with various weapons, but mostly swords. There are several racks of them displayed on the walls. The master leads him to a table off to the side of the room that is cluttered with blocks of various materials perfect for molding a sword.

“Choosing the correct material is the most important step in crafting a sword. You must trust your steel with your life. Choose carefully.” He makes a sweeping gesture, indicating Sokka’s choices before him, then steps to the side.

Sokka takes two bricks and weighs them in his hands. He likes one more than the other, but neither of them really feel right. Too bulky. He puts down the lesser of the two and picks up a third block. He shakes his head, frowning at them both, and sets the pair down. He takes a fourth brick and individually checks its quality, then a fifth. Neither of those seem right, either. 

Putting a finger to his chin, Sokka thinks carefully about his choices. None of them feel like the perfect choice. If he wants a sword he can trust with his life, he needs the perfect choice. But he doesn’t want any of these rocks! He feels panic begin to rise for just a moment before an idea comes to mind and he grins. He turns to Piandao. “Master, would it be possible for me to leave and bring back a special material to use for my sword?”

Piandao’s lips curl into a smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

* * *

He’s barely over the hill leading to their campsite when three figures come hurtling toward him, arms outstretched. All at once, they embrace him.

“Sokka!” Aang cries out in pure glee.

“You’re back!” Toph squeals, sounding surprisingly delighted. He’s definitely gonna tease her for it later. And he’ll definitely get bruises for it, too.  _ Worth it. _

“We missed you so much!” Katara says, burying her face in his shirt.

As they pull away, Aang begs him, “Say something funny!”

Sokka blinks. “Funny how?” He feels like he’s missing something as Aang and Katara double over in laughter. Does he have something on his face? He turns to Toph. “What’s with them?”

Toph shrugs. “I don’t know.” She turns her back to him, making him raise an eyebrow because great, now Toph’s acting weird, too! “They missed you or something. I didn’t care.”

Okay, never mind. Same old Toph. “Thanks,” he sarcastically replies. “That really warms my heart. What a comfort you are.”

Toph turns back around to face him, smirking. “You’re welcome. I aim to displease.”

Sokka glares.

“So are you a sword master now?” Aang asks. “That was so fast!”

He shakes his head. “No. I came back because I need your guys’ help, actually.”

It seems the gang’s been itching for something to do, as they happily volunteer to assist with whatever he needs before he even says what it is. And once he does, they’re all the more eager to help.

As they guide the hunk of meteorite up the peak that leads to Piandao’s castle, Toph using her earthbending as covertly as possible to make it easier, they ask what his training has been like.

Sokka indulges them, but soon changes the subject to what they’ve been doing in his absence. “Sparring? Saving another town? Creating another new form of bending?”

“Mostly just sitting around, actually,” Aang says.

“We did try to give map reading a go, but…” Katara sighs, indicating a lack of success in this endeavor. Sokka chuckles.

“Guess I really am the only one who can read them.”

“We really don’t give you enough credit for that,” Aang says.

Sokka’s eyes snap to him. “Really? Aw, thanks, Aang!”

“Also, Katara tried to be funny,” Toph tells him.

He cringes. “My deepest sympathies.”

“Hey!” Katara interjects. “I can be funny!”

Aang, Toph, and Sokka immediately shake their heads.

“Not at  _ all _ ,” says Toph.

“Sorry, Katara, I gotta go with Toph and Sokka on this one.”

“I told you, sis. All the funny in the family went to me.”

“Well, then,” Katara haughtily replies. She steps back from the meteorite and folds her arms, raising her head high.

“Oh, come on! Kata _ raaaa _ !” Sokka whines. 

Katara giggles, dropping what was apparently an act and returning to her position at the meteorite. “Just kidding.”

The group groans. 

“Give it up, Katara. Humor just isn’t your thing,” Sokka says.

She pouts. “Alright, I give up.”

“Stick to waterbending, Sugar Queen.”

* * *

It takes hours to forge his sword. He works late into the night and falls asleep by the coal furnace, leaned up against a wall with his arms around his legs. When he wakes up, he begins his work anew just as diligently as before.

At last, after hours of hammering, shoveling, chiseling, and waiting he’s finished. Master Piandao dips the blade into water and Sokka watches in awe as it makes the water boil and hiss. When he pulls it back out, it’s turned a glistening shade of black. 

“Fat will add some finishing touches and procure you a sheath for your sword. You and your friends meet me in the main hall where we first met in ten minutes. I will present your sword to you then.”

Sokka can barely contain his excitement as he runs off to find the others.

They meet Piandao and his butler ten minutes later just as instructed. Sokka sits before the master once more, his friends somewhere behind him. Behind the master stands Fat, Sokka’s sword in his hands.

“Sokka,” Piandao begins. He sits up a little straighter and gives the master his full attention. “When you first arrived, you were so unsure. You even seemed down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away. I saw a heart as strong as a lion turtle and  _ twice _ as big. And as we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me.” Fat leans over, handing Piandao the sword. “No, it certainly wasn’t your skills.” Sokka looks down into his lap, heat rising in his cheeks. “You said yourself you had little training, and I told you not to be ashamed of that. You have done well for a self-trained warrior and as you yourself admitted, you still have a lot to learn. That’s why I stand here before you today holding your well-earned prize. You’re willing to learn, and you showed me something far more important and far more special than ordinary swordsmanship.” He unsheathes the sword in one swift and elegant motion, showcasing the beautiful black blade held within. 

Piandao stands, swinging the weapon around like a true master. It’s not his, but he controls it with such finesse that it looks like it just naturally belongs in his hands. Sokka watches with fascination at how he moves and how the blade glistens in the midday sun. 

“Creativity, versatility, intelligence... These are the traits that define a great swordsman. And these are the traits that define  _ you _ ,” he says, respect and admiration in his tone. The master comes up to him, kneeling down and handing him his sword at last.

Sokka holds it in his hands, feeling the weight of not only the blade itself but the importance of what he’s just accomplished. If the sword in the shop in town felt right, this feels...natural. It feels like fate or destiny or providence or --okay, maybe he’s being a little dramatic here, but hey, he has a right to be.

“You told me you didn't know if you were worthy, but I believe that you are more worthy than  _ any _ man I have  _ ever _ trained,” Piandao tells him, smiling proudly.

And that’s when Sokka’s heart sinks. The sword no longer makes him swell with pride, but instead weighs him down with guilt. Only moments ago, this training finally made him believe he really is worthy. But now…

He bows his head in shame. He knows the gang will flip out and have his head for this, and perhaps the local military will, too, if Piandao reports him but...but it just won’t sit right with his soul if he continues to lie to his teacher. “I’m sorry, master, but you’re wrong. I’m  _ not _ worthy. I’m not from the Fire Nation colonies, I’m from the Southern Water Tribe.”

He can hear the others audibly gasp and drop their jaws in horror at what he’s just confessed.

“Sokka!” Katara hisses from behind him.

“I’ve been lying to you this whole time in order to learn swordsmanship from you. I’m  _ so _ sorry.” He holds out his newly given sword for him to take back, but Piandao doesn’t reach for it.

Instead, the master turns his back to Sokka and steps away. “I’m sorry, too, Sokka.” He hears the sound of metal on metal, the now familiar sound of a sword being unsheathed. A second later, Piando whips around and swings. Sokka clutches his sword and scrambles out of the way by somersaulting across the floor at the last second. When he gets to his feet, Piandao is facing him, poised for a fight with his sword raised out in front him and pointing directly at Sokka.

Toph, Aang, and Katara are all on their feet, too, standing behind him ready to let loose their bending.

“No.” He crouches into the sword fighting stance Piandao has been drilling into him, holding his blade for the first time. He never expected he’d be testing it out so soon. He  _ really _ wishes it was under better circumstances, though. “This is  _ my _ fight and mine alone,” he tells them, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on his master.

“Sokka—“ Katara starts, but he waves his free hand. 

“I can do this. I  _ have _ to. Otherwise, what was it all for?”

“Indeed,” Piandao says. “We should at least see whether the hours we both wasted on your training was worth it.”

Ouch. But he deserves it.

“No dueling in the house!” Fat cries out in a panic, his gaze veering to the shoji screen doors.

Piandao motions for Sokka to follow him outside to the sparring area, his friends following behind until Fat stops them to direct them to the balcony that overlooks the grounds. Good idea. It’ll help to deter them from intervening. He has to fight Piandao alone. He can fight his own battles now.

Just minutes later, the others are standing at the balcony, Katara and Aang clutching the railings anxiously.

Piandao and Sokka are squared off, swords raised. Sokka tensely waits for him to strike, deciding to let him start the match. Sokka never wanted this fight, anyway.

A long and tense moment stretches out between them before, at last, Piandao makes his move and the match begins. He strikes Sokka four times in quick succession, showing right off the bat that he’s not about to go easy on him. Sokka ducks and parries, only managing to find one opening for a swing in-between Piandao’s jabs and it doesn’t even land. Go figure. 

The older man sweeps his sword low, aiming for Sokka’s legs. Sokka jumps, using the moment to try for another blow. It’s deflected, and in return Sokka’s met with the hilt of Piandao’s sword right in the shoulder and knocked back into the rail post of a small bridge. It takes a moment for him to regain his balance, a moment which his master utilizes to quickly close the distance between them once more. Sokka hastily jumps on top of the post just in time to dodge another swing that would’ve cut right across his torso. He jumps over to the other one when the master swings at his ankles, and jumps further back and onto the railing a second later when Piandao twirls around and thrusts his weapon forward.

They’re practically dancing across this bridge now, Piandao swinging and Sokka leaping across the railings, rolling onto the ground, and then springing back up onto the railing again, now at the far end of the bridge.

“Excellent!” Piandao suddenly exclaims. “Using your superior agility against an older opponent... _ smart _ .” It’s an odd bit of praise, the words themselves speaking of pride and approval but his tone sounding bitter and hostile. Sokka doesn’t know what to make of it. 

Not that he gets a chance to contemplate it as Piandao charges again, driving him backward up a staircase. He blocks each strike that comes his way until one particularly powerful blow knocks him back into the wall that’s on one side of the staircase. With a yelp Sokka ducks, narrowly avoiding the latest assault. He hears the grating sound of metal cutting through stone just above him. He feels the sweat beading down his forehead and dampening his hair.

Piandao gets another couple of blows in before Sokka veers to the right, then uses the wall to kick off and propel himself forward with his sword outstretched. Piandao dodges, go figure, and Sokka rolls as he reaches the ground again before springing back to his feet at the top of the stairs.

“Good use of terrain...fighting from the high ground!” Oh man, he’s doing the weird praise thing again. If there was going to be any kind of conversation going on during this showdown, Sokka imagined it would be trash talk somewhere along the lines of what Earth Rumble 6 was like. 

The next time Piandao strikes, Sokka catches his blade underneath his. He stamps a foot down over it for good measure and can’t help but feel the tiniest bit smug when the elder swordsman tries to wedge his own weapon out from under Sokka’s and fails. The grin is wiped off his face a moment later, however, when Piandao suddenly wrenches his sword upward, causing Sokka to lose his footing and stumble backward. A thick wall of bamboo stalks catches him. Sokka grunts, taking a few deep breaths. He notes a couple strands of hair falling out of his topknot and into his face, and it’s all the respite he’s given before his opponent comes charging toward him. 

Ducking, Sokka retreats further into the forest of bamboo, slicing through the thicket before him as Piandao follows behind. He hears the hollow clunking of the stalks hitting the ground, but also hears the sound of Piandao’s blade swinging as he expertly cuts through the falling obstructions. Dammit. Changing tactics, Sokka hastily, desperately, weaves through the stalks, grabbing a hold of one of them and pulling back. He holds it taught, as far back as he can get it, and when he hears Piandao’s footsteps he lets it loose. Piandao cuts right through it without missing a beat and Sokka curses.

As the master rushes him once more, Sokka deflects his strike and withdrawals deeper into the forest. He starts yanking back stalks of bamboo and letting them snap back as he passes, hoping one of them will at last land a hit on Piandao. 

He hears the swish of his opponent’s blade cutting through the obstacles behind him. “Yes, use your surroundings! Make them fight for you!”

Sokka shouts in frustration and, admittedly, no small amount of fear, as he races out of the forest and back toward the fighting ring where they began their match. Breathing raggedly, Sokka looks behind him to see how far away Piandao is and gasps when he sees no one.

Wildly, Sokka looks about the area for signs of him, but sees nothing until suddenly Piandao’s blade is right before him, pointed directly at his chest. With another yelp, Sokka drops to his knees and sails just beneath it. Once clear, he staggers to his feet none too gracefully and uses the tip of his blade to break his fall. It’s at that moment, as his blade strikes the dirt, that inspiration strikes.

It’s a little bit of a dirty move (pun only somewhat intended), but Sokka’s gotta use everything he’s got if he wants to win this fight. And so he uses his remaining momentum to drag his blade along the ground and flick it upward, launching dirt and dust up into the air and into Piandao’s face, blinding him. The elder swordsman spins away to recover, but the damage is already done. Sokka is amazed to see him not even lift a sleeve to try to wipe away the obstruction, but rather steel himself for the remainder of their match. Spirits, why couldn’t he just call it quits at this point? 

“Very resourceful,” Piandao says, low and begrudgingly impressed. “But I hope you know that taking away one sense only  _ heightens _ the others…”

Although his back is still to him, Sokka can see he’s on full alert. He recognizes the way he’s waiting and listening like Toph does. It nearly steals his breath to see someone who’s not his short, feisty earthbending friend using this technique. It also sends shivers down his spine because it signifies that Piandao is an even more dangerous opponent than previously assumed. As if he wasn’t deadly enough already. Sokka makes a note, though, to ask Toph to help him learn this, too. He doesn’t want specks of dirt in his eyes to be the thing that takes him out during the invasion weeks from now.

With the knowledge that Piandao is listening for even the faintest ruffling of clothing, the slightest swish of a blade, or the lightest of footsteps to decipher Sokka’s location and predict the direction of his attack, Sokka treads carefully. It’s his perfect opportunity to leave the arena, find his friends, and run the hell outta here before Piandao cuts him down and reports the rest of them to the militia and has them arrested. He never wanted this fight, although he knew it would happen as soon as he told the truth about his identity. He just wanted to be honest. No matter how stupid it had been, he couldn’t have let himself live it down if he walked away from Piandao letting the man think the world of him when Sokka knew he had done nothing but lie.

But the man hasn’t done anything to warrant harm or contempt, and Sokka highly respects the man for his skill and his patience. He’s taught Sokka so much in the space of a couple days. 

He doesn’t like running from fights, but sometimes it’s the wisest course of action. He doesn’t want this fight. He doesn’t want to hurt Piandao. If he can safely escape the conflict, he’s going to take the chance.

Except given his luck, he really shouldn’t have been surprised when he steps on something that’s not solid ground or stone paving. It gives under the weight of his foot, snapping audibly.

A twig.

Where the  _ hell _ did it even come from?! Sokka resists the urge to swear aloud before he steals a nervous glance over at Piandao to see if he’s noticed and--

Yep.  _ Of course _ he’s noticed.  _ What did I ever do to you to make you hate me this much, Universe? _

Piandao’s head whips around in his direction and Sokka knows he’d be staring him dead in the eyes if he weren’t temporarily blinded. Even then, he might as well be since the look on his face is so intense and focused. He spins around, swinging his sword into an offensive position, and rushes toward him.

When he jabs at Sokka, he parries, but then Piandao catches him by surprise when instead of meeting Sokka’s sword, he entangles their swords together, driving Sokka’s blade upward and into two tight circles that rip it right out of his hand.

The momentum drives his sword up into the air and Sokka watches, horrified, as it lodges itself hilt up in the ground several feet away. Shit.

But perhaps he can still get it back. He starts calculating ways to distract his opponent, thinking of his surroundings and his own skills and how he can make use of them.

Piandao swings and a weaponless Sokka lunges out of the way. But in a genius move that proves Sokka still has a great deal to learn, the master has already put a foot out in his direction. Sokka spots it too late, tripping over it and barely managing to stay on his feet. He twists around to face Piandao once again just in time for the man to strike again with a wide horizontal swipe, but it turns out to be a feint that Sokka catches onto too late. The sword sails past him, but Piandao rams into him with his shoulder and knocks him back, stealing his breath as he lands hard on his back.

Sokka has barely gotten to his elbows before Piandao is looming over him, a large shadow blocking out the sun, the glinting point of his sword at Sokka’s throat.

_ Quick, somebody close Katara’s eyes. This ain’t gonna be pretty. _

In the periphery, Sokka can see the others hop down from the balcony and race toward him. He grinds his teeth, frustrated and disappointed that he’s once again failed and in need of rescue. This whole endeavor has been a failure. He came to Piandao to learn to be a better fighter, to be able to contribute more to the team and prove there was a reason to keep him around, and this is how it ends. 

_ You really do  _ love _ to prove me wrong, don’t you? _ Sokka silently calls out to The Universe.  _ For Kuruk’s sake, I’m on  _ your _ side! _

Might as well face his fate, though. The final blow should be any moment now, and all Sokka think about it how he really wishes Katara wasn’t going to be right there to see it. As if she hasn’t seen enough in her young life already.

“Please, don’t!” she cries out.

Sokka winces, thinking this is it, except the blow doesn’t come. Piandao swings his sword away from Sokka, causing the others to halt mid-run. He grins.

“Excellent work, Sokka.”

Huh?

Sokka squints up at him, the sun bright against his silhouette. Piandao says nothing, instead signalling over his shoulder to Fat, who tosses the scabbard for his sword. Sokka watches in absolute amazement as Piandao twirls around and raises his sword just in time for the scabbard to slip right over it perfectly. 

Sokka sees Aang, Toph, and Katara still standing several feet away in their bending stances in utter confusion.

“I think I’m a little old to be fighting the Avatar,” Piandao calmly says, and Sokka’s jaw drops. The others share a similar look of surprise, glancing to one another before Aang answers.

“How’d you know?” he asks, jaw practically on the floor. He hastily pats his head and forehead to make sure that both his hair and his headband are still in place. They’re fine, of course. Piandao is just scarily observant.

Still dazed by the turn of events that led to him  _ not _ being dead right now, Sokka gets up off the ground. He smooths his hair out, brushes himself off, and looks to Piandao curiously. He’d also love to know exactly how Piandao figured it out. If he’s willing to share.

Piandao shrugs as Fat comes over with a tray carrying a drink and a cloth. “Oh, I’ve been around a while. You pick things up.”  _ Well, that’s hardly an answer _ , Sokka caustically thinks. The master casually picks up the cloth and wipes his face. At last, he opens his eyes once more and they immediately go to Sokka, who balks slightly at that piercing gaze going straight to him. “Of course, I knew from the beginning that Sokka was Water Tribe.” Sokka’s mouth hangs open. Behind his teacher, Sokka can see Aang, Katara, and Toph sharing near identical expressions. “You might want to think of a better Fire Nation cover name. Try ‘Lee’. There’s a million ‘Lee’s.” He takes the glass Fat offers and takes a long sip.

Sokka looks past him to his friends, brows raised. 

Katara’s the first to recover. “But why would you agree to train someone from the Water Tribe?”

The older man turns to her and the others, shaking his head. “The way of the sword doesn’t belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all.” 

“So the ‘fight’ was a test of his skills?” asks Aang.

Piandao nods. 

“And he had to think he was in  _ actual _ danger, that you were  _ actually _ angry, in order to really test his abilities,” Toph concludes.

Piandao nods again. “I never cared that Sokka was Water Tribe. I never expected him to confess he was, either. I understand why he kept it a secret. But the fact that he did,” he says, eyes landing on Sokka again, “only further proves how right I was to agree to teach him.” With those stirring words, he hands Fat his sword, then walks over to where Sokka’s sword is still sticking out the ground. He pulls the blade free, walks back over, and hands it to him. “Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you stay on this path, I know that one day you will become an even greater master than I am.”

Sokka’s eyes are wide and glistening with overwhelming awe and appreciation. Did he really just say that? To Sokka? He’s at a loss for words, so all he can manage is a deeply humble “Thank you” as he bows to his master and hopes it conveys just how grateful he truly is for all Piandao has done for him.

“Let me show you all the way out,” Fat says, waving a hand back the way they came. He doesn’t sound like the curmudgeon that Sokka met on the way in, gruff voice and clipped words. He sounds gracious and hospitable, and it takes Sokka aback slightly. 

Katara thanks Fat and she and the others begin to walk back up the stairs to the main building. 

“All this deadly combat has got me  _ famished _ !”

“Ugh!” Katara loudly exclaims. “ _ Toph! _ ”

“Actually,” Aang awkwardly begins, “I’m feeling pretty hungry, too.”

Sokka snorts as Katara nearly implodes. “You, too? Are you serious? Sokka nearly died and you guys want to just run off and stuff your mouths full of food? I can’t believe--” and then, in the utmost act of betrayal, Katara’s stomach grumbles audibly enough for everyone else to hear. She lays a hand over it, as if telling the traitorous organ to  _ please shush _ !

Aang and Toph burst out laughing and Katara flushes with embarrassment. Sokka’s laughing, too, but as everyone reaches the top of the stairs, he sobers. The others continue to walk ahead, but Sokka hesitates as he and Piandao ascend their final step.

“Master,” Sokka begins, turning to him. Piandao pivots to face him, nodding for him to continue. “I have one other thing to confess…”

Piandao smiles knowingly. “I thought there might be something else you weren’t saying.”

Sokka rubs the back of his neck, casting his gaze at the ground. “I...Well, it’s not really relevant to sword fighting…I was kinda hoping to just...get your advice?” Head low, he shyly looks upward at Piandao, whose expression lacks an ounce of judgement.

Taking his silence as agreement, Sokka goes on. “I…” He closes his eyes, straightens his back, raises his head, and takes a deep breath. When he opens them, he looks his master square in the eye. “I’m a firebender.”

A mixture of emotions flit across the master’s face until he settles on something between shock and sadness. “I see,” is all he says.

“I found out when I was 8 years old. My mom…”

Piandao stops him, understanding where he’s going. Thank goodness. It hurts to think about. “You’re not the first I’ve met who was born into these circumstances. I imagine it’s not easy, living with fire in your veins when your nation is under siege by mine.” Miraculously, he bows his head. “I understand the Fire Nation has brought great suffering to the world, and I’m sorry for that.” He raises his head once more, so his eyes bore into Sokka’s with the utmost conviction and sincerity that Sokka has ever seen from the man. “I want you to know, Sokka, that I do not stand idly by and let that suffering go unheard and the perpetrators go unpunished. This war has gone on far too long, and though it is not yet time to act, I know the time is coming soon. Know that I am  _ on your side _ when it does.” 

Sokka knows Piandao isn’t a bender, but he swears he can see fire in his eyes. For a second time, he finds himself at a loss for what to say, so he merely thanks him from the bottom of his heart. “I’m glad to know there are people like you in the Fire Nation, Master Piandao.” He bows.

Piandao bows back. Sokka turns to go, only walking a few feet when he hears Piandao call out to him.

“Sokka?” He turns to face the sword master. “Your friends don’t know, do they?”

Sokka guiltily shakes his head. “I’ve been struggling so long to accept it myself and...and I’m afraid they’d--”

“You do realize one of those friends is the Avatar, right?” Piandao says, and Sokka blinks at him in surprise and disbelief. Piandao sighs. “Perhaps part of the reason you can’t accept it yourself is because you’re keeping it from everyone else.”

Sokka chews on that for a moment before he nods. “That’s a good point,” he concedes. “It just never feels like the right time, though. There’s so much else going on.”

“Trust your instincts, Sokka, but I will say this: I think your friends and family would appreciate the honesty as much as I do.” He smiles softly. Sokka matches it.

“Thank you, Master. That helps a lot.” He bows again.

“I wish you the best of luck, Sokka. With everything.” He pats him on the shoulder, then gestures for him to hurry off after his friends. They’re a long ways ahead of them at this point and probably wondering where he is by now.

Sokka races ahead before they can worry too much and decide to circle back for him.

* * *

This time around, their meal in The Town Not Destroyed By a Meteorite has a much different feel to it. Everyone is glad to see Sokka back to his normal self. They even seem hopeful after their encounter with Piandao, knowing he never cared where Sokka came from, only that he deserved to learn the way of the sword. Sokka feels invigorated with a new sense of confidence and determination. He’s learned so much more than just how to wield a sword. By no means does he feel ready yet for the eclipse invasion, but he does feel far more prepared. 

Sokka smiles contentedly as he eats, watching the others laugh and smile and tease each other--well, actually, mostly just Katara. Piandao’s right. He needs to tell them, but...but when? There’s so much going on right now with all the training and planning and traveling to the capitol...Maybe it’s best to wait until after the invasion?

Yeah. He doesn’t need to burden them with this yet. He can’t fracture their trust and friendship right when they need it to be its strongest. 

Piandao’s right, but he also said to listen to his instincts. Right now, Sokka’s instincts are telling him to wait.

An elbow jabs him in the side and he winces, turning to look accusingly at Toph. “Hey, what’s got you so quiet?” The question draws Aang and Katara’s attention, too.

“I was just thinking,” Sokka begins hesitantly.

“Well, yeah, I figured that much.”

“Actually, I had a question for you.” Toph looks intrigued. He elaborates. “Master Piandao was able to fight even after I blinded him--”

“Great move, by the way,” Toph cuts in. “I approve.”

Sokka chuckles. “Thanks. So, he was able to fight even after I blinded him, and he was able to catch his scabbard with his sword and...I was wondering...Y’know, I don’t wanna be taken out in combat just ‘cause someone shoves some dirt in my face, so…”

“You want me to teach you how to fight blindfolded?!” Toph excitedly and hopefully asks. She looks absolutely gleeful, like the giddy little 12 year old her parents had vainly hoped she would be.

Sokka nods. “Yeah. I want to learn to do what you do. Minus the rock throwing part.”

“YES! Oh, man, I was hoping you’d say that! But there  _ will _ be rock throwing involved. For me, at least,” she says, with a very sinister grin and a mischievous glint in her pale eyes, and Sokka suddenly thinks to himself  _ Oh Yue, what have I  _ done _?!  _ “You’re the  _ only _ one in the group I haven’t thrown rocks at! And we’re gonna be sparring. While you’re  _ blind _ . You’re  _ gonna _ get hit by a rock.”

Aang swallows a hunk of tofu and shakes his head. “It’s not gonna be easy, Sokka, but if you can learn to do what Master Piandao did, that would be the coolest thing ever!” he says, waving his hands up in the air to emphasize just how cool it would be.

Katara grins, jabbing her chopsticks at him. “Now  _ this _ I have got to see.”

  
“This is gonna be  _ so _ fun!” Toph claps her hands and rubs them together, teeth bared in a toothy, frighteningly enthusiastic smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what'd you think? I hope you enjoyed the elongated and added conversations with Piandao as well as Sokka's interactions with the gang while he's down in the dumps. 
> 
> Next up is gonna be The Runaway and maaaaaaybe something with The Puppetmaster, and then we'll be getting into THE INVASION. Get STOKED, y'all!


	13. The Runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka hates seeing his sister and his friend fighting, so he takes Toph aside to have a heart-to-heart and hopefully resolve the tension. It winds up being almost just as much of a therapy session for him as it is for Toph as he explains why it is Katara's quite so motherly. Later, when Sparky Sparky Boom Man makes a reappearance in town, Sokka makes a desperate attempt to protect himself and his friends and afterwards, makes a startling realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, I'm SO sorry for the late posting! Work was busy this week and I had a bank issue I had to deal with and...ugh. This week went by so fast! 
> 
> Anyways, thanks for the fantastic reviews! I'm so happy you all enjoyed the episode with Piandao!
> 
> Hope you like this chapter, too! I think you'll like the end! ; D

When Sokka’s plan to forge a letter to Katara apologizing on Toph’s behalf goes awry, he realizes that he’s going to have to take a different approach if he wants to resolve the conflict between them. He considers which of the two to approach first, but the decision is made for him when Katara stalks off to who knows where. It’s clear she needs some alone time, so Sokka turns his attention to Toph. She’s probably more in need of a one on one than Katara is, anyway. 

Aang wishes him luck and gives him a thumbs up as he stands. 

“Come on,” he tells Toph gently, approaching her where she sits on some rock with her arms crossed and facing away from them. He can feel the anger radiating off of her. “We need to talk.”

Begrudgingly, Toph comes with him and he takes her away from the camp to a cliff overlooking the lake below. Toph plops down beside him, their feet dangling over the edge side by side. The sun is beginning to set, its warm glow bearing down on them, and there’s an occasional light breeze that is sorely needed after the heat and humidity of the afternoon. It makes for a perfectly calming backdrop to their conversation. 

“So, let me guess,” Toph huffs, “You brought me out here to tell me your sister’s not as annoying as I make her out to be.”

He gives a small shrug. “Nah, she’s pretty much a pain. She’s always gotta be right about everything, and she gets all bossy, and involved, and in your business…”

Toph scoffs. “Yeah, I dunno how you deal with it.”

Sokka tilts his head in thought, thinking of where he wants to go with this. Sure, Katara has her faults, but she’s his sister. He loves her and supports her, and he knows she feels the same way about him. She’s already done so much for him… “Actually, I kinda rely on it,” he quietly admits, turning to look at Toph. Despite the long, dark bangs in her eyes, he sees her face scrunch in confusion.

“I don’t understand.”

Sokka sighs, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees as he looks out at the lake and the hills below. “When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life. Our family was a mess. Gran Gran had lost her only daughter and our dad lost the love of his life and was focused on joining the war effort. We’d experienced the raids ever since any of us could remember, but when they resulted in our mom’s death it was like the last straw. He couldn’t stand around anymore, he had to go out and do something. He was restless. He started training all the men, gathering supplies, building and renovating our fleet so they could sail out. He kinda forgot about us, to be honest…” He squeezes his eyes shut at the painful memory. “I was so desperate to try to learn to fight, angry about her death and wanting to go with my dad and the others. I was pretty much doing what he was doing, distracting myself instead of processing what happened.”

“That sounds really tough. I’m sorry, Sokka.”

He nods. “It was. I…” he thinks about the promise his mother had made him when they talked about sharing his firebending secret one day. “ _ We’ll do it together. Okay?”  _ He remembers how devastated and lost he felt when she died before they could. He remembers how much he hated himself, knowing he was a firebender and had Fire Nation blood in his veins when it was firebenders who had taken her from them. In some twisted way, he felt like it was his fault. But amidst all the damage left in the wake of her death, one person had truly been there for him. “...I had Katara. Despite being so young and seeing the rest of us crumbling, she stepped up and took on  _ so _ much responsibility. She filled the void that was left by our mom.”

He can see the guilty expression on her face, the tears streaming down her cheeks. “I guess I never thought about that. She’s motherly because she had to do a lot of the things that moms have to do.”

He sneaks a glance up at her, debating whether to actually say these next words. Upon seeing the openness and vulnerability she’s showing right now and her willingness to listen, he decides he can trust her with this. She won’t judge him or mock him. “I’m gonna tell you something crazy. I never told anyone this before, but…” He shifts his position, pulling his legs up so he can wrap his arms around them and rest his chin on his knees.

“Katara doesn’t realize it, but my mom and I were really close in our own way. She knew me better than anyone, to be honest. But there were things I was still trying to work out and I expected her to be there to help me with them, but suddenly she wasn’t. When she died I should have stepped up and been a big brother, the head of the family, but I was too lost in myself.” He wishes he could say he doesn’t feel that way anymore, but he does. He knows he might have to tell everyone his secret soon, and he finds himself wishing more than anything that she could come back and help him do it. She would know exactly what to say to soothe Katara’s anger when she learns she’s been lied to and that her brother is the thing she hates most. She would know exactly what to say to keep their dad from running in a blind rage off to war.

She would know exactly what to say to Sokka to get him to stop feeling so guilty and self-loathing.

“I think Katara had so much more confidence in herself, and she admired our mom so much and knew what we were missing without her, so I guess it was just easier for her to step into that role.” He wishes he had the kind of confidence in his abilities and his identity as Katara does in hers. “Since then, Katara’s been my rock. She’s always been there for me. I loved my mom so much, Toph, but it seems like Katara’s really been the one around most of my life looking out for me...and, y’know, making sure I don’t do anything stupid enough to get myself killed,” he says, sliding the joke in cause it’s just what he does. It’s his coping mechanism --feeling hurt or vulnerable? Crack a joke. It eases the tension and it’s something comforting when he’s in unfamiliar territory.

Toph’s breathy little laugh is a minor victory, but a victory nonetheless. He feels himself relax a little. 

“And it’s not that I don’t remember my mom, but…” he shifts uncomfortably. “But sometimes when I think of her...Katara’s face is the only one I see.”

Toph says nothing; she just lets his confession hang in the air between them for a moment. But she does reach out and put her calloused, dirt-coated hand on his and gives it a light squeeze to let him know she’s there.

At last, with a tired sigh, she speaks. “The truth is, sometimes Katara does act motherly.” Sokka nods understandingly. It’s the result of years of stepping in for their mother. To fill the gap not only for Sokka, but for herself. She’s got a big and caring heart, but it’s also one that’s been broken and yet to be entirely mended after their mother’s death. He doesn’t think it’s something he can fix, or at least not without the help of their friends and family. “But that's not always a bad thing,” Toph continues. “She's compassionate, and kind, and she  _ actually _ cares about me.” He sees tears spilling from her eyes, but doesn’t  _ dare _ make any kind of acknowledgement. She’d probably just throw him right off the cliff. “Y’know, the  _ real _ me.” She roughly begins wiping the tears off her face. “That’s more than my own mom  _ or _ dad.”

Sokka returns the hand squeeze she gave him earlier. “I’m sorry they haven’t accepted you for who you are.”

Toph wipes her face again and gives a little sniffle, seeming to be coming back to herself. Walls like the ones that once guarded the great city of Ba Sing Se rise back into place. “Maybe they’ll get it one day.”

He smiles. “I hope so, too. They dunno what they’re missing.”

She tilts her head upward so he can better see her face and smiles.

“Now I know you’re gonna think I’m lame for saying this, but I think you should try talking to Katara about it, too. She seemed pretty hurt. I mean, you weren’t totally wrong about saying she acts motherly, but you know now that there’s a good reason for that. She didn’t get to enjoy being a regular kid for very long before she suddenly had to take on all that responsibility. And even then, she’s so much more than that.”

With a deep sigh, Toph agrees. “Yeah, I was a bit harsh earlier, wasn’t I? When we get back to camp, I’ll go apologize to her.”

His heart swells with pride. Toph’s come a long way since they first met. Like Katara, she can be pretty stubborn and hot-headed sometimes. Unlike Katara, she’s usually a lot less willing to admit her mistakes or talk about her feelings. But the fact that she needed so little prompting and is willing to apologize says so much about her progress.

“Ugh, I can  _ hear _ how sappy you’re getting,” she groans.

“I’m proud of you is all,” he tells her. “When we first met, you never would’ve done this.”

She shrugs. “I suppose you’re right...but enough of the mushy feelings stuff. I’ve had enough to last me a  _ month _ .”

Laughing, Sokka agrees. “Fair enough.”

“But Sokka?” she softly adds.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.” His smile widens.

A companionable silence falls between them once more. Sokka watches the sunset feeling, oddly enough, a lot lighter. He’s gotten a lot off his chest despite how heavy and emotionally taxing the conversation was. He needed it perhaps just as much as she did.

The tranquility and quiet are interrupted a moment later by the wallopping blow to his shoulder that makes him cry out pathetically in pain and surprise. He looks to Toph, clutching the welt she’s just given him, glaring at her traitorously. 

“Don’t you  _ ever _ tell her I said  _ any _ of this!” Toph barks, the threat of further bodily harm crystal clear to him.

Nodding furiously, he assures her, “Hey, my lips are sealed.”

“They’d better be,” Toph says. Again, the threat is chillingly clear. 

With a grunt, Sokka rises to his feet. “C’mon, let’s get back to camp. I’m getting hungry.”

“When are you ever  _ not _ hungry?” she teases as he helps her to her feet. For once, she accepts the assistance rather than shaking it off.

“I’m a growing man!”

For a blind girl, Toph is strangely adept at rolling her eyes. She stops a moment later, and Sokka turns to look at her questioningly. “You’re walking back to camp blindfolded.”

He does a double take. “What?”

“We haven’t been training as much as we should be, so you’re walking back to camp blindfolded,” she tells him simply, taking the dreaded thing out of her pocket and coming toward him.

Sokka regrets ever asking her to teach him how to fight like Piandao. Aang was right, she’s a brutal teacher. He’s lost count of just how many bruises she’s given him. “But isn’t it...kinda far?” he weakly argues, and Toph shakes her head.

“Turn around,” she orders, making a poor effort of hiding her delight. He sighs and does as she asks, crouching down slightly so she can reach him properly. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you  _ some _ guidance. Just to make sure you don’t throw yourself off a ledge or something. Although it  _ would _ be pretty amusing! I’m having a lot of fun just imagining the sound you’d make!”

“I feel  _ so _ safe with you,” Sokka bites back as he fumbles forward. Behind him, Toph cackles.

A second later, he trips on a rock and nearly eats dirt.

Yup, he regrets this.  _ Deeply _ .

* * *

The apology doesn’t go quite as expected, and not because the girls begin fighting again or because it even goes badly, but because it ends with Katara not apologizing, but proposing one final heist. The greatest heist of all.

And that’s how Sokka winds up running through the empty streets of Unnecessarily Shirtless and Fire Spewing Ozai Statue Town, breathless and frantic and trying not to scream as another explosion rattles the cobbled road beneath him. It’s not even directed at him, but at Aang, who is somewhere among the rows of homes and shops nearby. They’ve split up in a dubious tactical move of his own design. And all the while, they’re still hoping to find the jail where Katara and Toph are being held so they can free them.

Sokka flings himself behind a building for cover as another concussive blast rings through the air somewhere too close for comfort. A black and red clothed blur appears through the haze and flits across the roofs of the buildings at the intersection just ahead of him. Aang. 

The next blast falls just around the corner from where he’s standing. This time he does scream, running out from his apparently exposed and now defunct hiding place. Sparky Sparky Boom Man gives chase, having apparently changed tactics. He’s no longer chasing after Aang, but Sokka. 

Sokka’s screaming hitches up another level as he sprints down an abandoned alley, hoping to lose his pursuer as he weaves between obstacles.

“ _ Aaaaaaaang _ !” he screeches.

“ _ Sokkaaaaa _ !” Aang desperately calls back from far too great a distance.  _ Get your ass over here, Aang! _

He dives behind a vegetable stand, but unfortunately he’s still visible to Sparky Sparky Boom man from wherever he’s firing from. How do they stop this guy? Sokka  _ really _ wishes he knew. Until he comes up with something better, his only choice is to run.

Again, he sprints across the road hoping to find some sort of concealment, but comes up empty. Now he’s running aimlessly through the alleyways until there’s a massive impact in the ground right where his foot was just a second earlier. Sokka flies through the air, the concussive blast sending him straight into a wall.

His ears are ringing and his limbs are wobbly, making it difficult to get up as he slowly comes back to himself. The back of his head feels weird and Sokka realizes with dismay that he must be bleeding. He doesn’t check, as he finds the approaching bulk of a man with a creepy third eye a  _ bit _ more of an immediate concern. Sparky Sparky Boom Man closes the distance between them, somehow managing to look at him with both complete contempt and absolute indifference at the same time.

His head is spinning, but Sokka desperately forces himself up onto his knees and then, shakily, to his feet. His pursuer inhales deeply and tips his head up a little like he’s taking aim. Not knowing what else to do but knowing his sword is gonna be useless here, Sokka raises his hands and thinks of Iroh’s lessons. Focus, relax, believe in yourself, and  _ breathe _ . 

Sokka drops into his stance, takes a deep breath, and then punches the air. He expects to look like an idiot when nothing happens, but to his astonishment, flames burst forth. Sparky Sparky Boom Man effortlessly dodges them, appearing only mildly surprised by the unexpected firebending display.

Once more, the man inhales and takes aim. Sokka throws two punches, both producing pretty powerful bursts of fire that he is definitely going to marvel in disbelief at later. The first blast is avoided completely, but the second one’s flames graze his opponent’s left bicep. Sokka dejectedly notes he must have a high pain tolerance when Sparky doesn’t react.

Having been interrupted twice now, Sparky tries a third time. Sokka panics, wondering if he should just go nuts and throw a couple dozen punches in quick, wild succession or --wait, can he even do that? He didn’t even know he could throw a punch like that a minute ago! 

He’s hardly settled on a course of action when a patch of earth suddenly springs up out of the ground and catapults Sparky into the air. Aang drops down where he once stood, and Sokka breathes a huge sigh of relief.

“What have  _ you _ been doing, playing pai sho?” he screeches indignantly.

“I was trying to find you!” 

“Well, took you long enough!” Sokka complains. “Come on, let’s find them and get outta here! This guy’s insane!”

Right on cue, Sparky Sparky Boom Man reappears in front of them, miraculously unscathed. He must’ve caught himself before any damage could come to him. He continues focusing his attacks on Sokka, making Aang play defense as well as offense as they try to incapacitate the guy long enough to run.

“Hey, Sparky, over here!” Aang shouts as he uses his airbending to launch himself up onto the roof of a nearby building. Sparky follows, thankfully, and Sokka runs along the ground after them. He comes to a dead halt as Sparky fires, sending Aang careening into the ostentatious steel Ozai statue that dominates the center of town. Aang smacks into the Fire Lord’s chest and limply falls to the ground. He makes no attempt to soften his landing via bending. It reminds Sokka of Katara’s description of his fall in the catacombs underneath Ba Sing Se. His blood runs cold.

He runs toward his unconscious friend as fast as his admittedly scrawny legs can carry him. “ _ Aaaaaaaaaang! _ ”

Sokka gasps as he sees Sparky close in on his prostrate friend to deliver the finishing blow. Desperately, Sokka yells at the man to try to distract him. “Hey,  _ three-eyes _ ! I’m not done with you yet!” He doesn’t take the bait, and Sokka panics. He unsheathes his sword, raises it high, and charges toward the large man in a reckless last-ditch attempt to stop him.

Not even bothering to look over his shoulder at him, Sparky lazily swings his arm backward like swatting at a pesky fly. It connects with Sokka’s chest, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying backward and skidding across the dirt.

Sokka’s head protests, but he hastily picks himself back up and starts after him again, but is halted in his tracks when a block of ice suddenly encases Sparky’s head. He stumbles away from Aang, flailing as he tries to free himself. Sokka whips around (and immediately regrets it) to see Katara and Toph.

“How did you--?” He begins, pointing a finger between them in surprise. Katara ignores him, running to Aang who is beginning to come back to himself. 

“Katara’s a sweaty, stinky genius, that’s how! We’ll explain later.”

Sokka’s brow hikes up his forehead in confusion. Oh, they  _ definitely _ need to explain later.

Katara is now helping Aang dazedly to his feet and they start to make a run for it when heavy, metallic footsteps approach from behind.  _ Ohhhhh, c’mon! _

He prepares to fire, but Toph bends a boulder at him. He easily blasts it apart, but then a piece of the rubble flies toward him and hits him square in the creepy third eye tattoo. Sparky staggers and falls to the ground in what appears to be immense pain.  _ Well look at that, he  _ does _ feel. _ To the gang’s horror, he quickly recovers and attempts to resume his attack only to have his powers mysteriously backfire on him. When he tries to fire at them, the air around him alarmingly starts to spark and combust like a mid-air thunder storm. 

“Well, let’s not stand here and watch, let’s  _ go _ !” Toph shouts, yanking a terrified but enthralled Sokka away from the scene.

Katara slings Aang’s arm over her shoulder. Sokka knows she can handle him on her own, but he joins her anyway at Aang’s other side to help speed them along. Sparky Sparky Boom Man seems like he’s incapacitated for now, but he’s not gonna risk standing around to find out. Besides, the man is  _ huge  _ and he has _ metal arms _ . He doesn’t need his powers to still be dangerous.

* * *

Sailing away from the village on Appa, the gang can finally relax again. Sokka tiredly admires the setting sun from their unique high vantage point and begins to think about how he actually just used firebending in combat for the first time. He’s not sure how to feel about it, really. He didn’t feel more confident in his abilities or even more accepting of himself, he just remembers feeling afraid and desperate. He wanted to save himself and protect his friend. 

Once again, his firebending had been more or less accidental and instinctual. Iroh told him that Zuko fuels his firebending with rage, and Iroh himself seems to fuel his firebending with serenity. Jeong Jeong seemed to fuel his with a strict sense of control and an unhealthy dose of self-deprecation, and Azula...well, she fuels hers with...psychopathy? Best just keep Azula out of the comparison. 

So what does that mean Sokka’s firebending is fueled by? Fear? Instinct? Sheer dumb luck? That hardly seems healthy or reliable…

No, it’s something else. When he firebended back there, he focused on what Iroh taught him in Ba Sing Se, but he hardly felt relaxed or confident. Just desperate. Desperate to save himself and his friends.

Now that he thinks about it, how did he manage to firebend in the past? Sure, it was accidental, but what else? The first time he firebended, he was protecting his family from the cold by relighting the fire in their home. When he was training with Jeong Jeong and Iroh, he was afraid but also determined to control this undesirable part of himself for the sake of his friends and family. For their safety.

The answer comes to him in a rushing wave of clarity that leaves him feeling something big and complex, but he doesn’t know quite how to explain it.  _ So that’s it, then _ , he realizes. 

Protection. His firebending is fueled by a drive to protect what he has: his life, his friends, and his family. 

He smiles dopily to himself, a deep sense of clarity, acceptance, and relief washing over him. 

_ So that’s it. _

A bruising hit to the shoulder brings him back to reality.

“Toph, stop! He’s already injured!”

“Pfft. He can take it.”

“What?” Sokka intelligently cuts in, blinking at them.

“I was trying to get your attention and you were completely out of it,” Katara says, brows knit together with concern.

“Sorry, I--”

“Might have a concussion?” Toph not-so-helpfully supplies.

Sokka glowers at her. “No,” he says, at the same time Katara more sternly refutes, “ _ Yes _ !” 

“Wait, really?” He looks at her with wide eyes. Then he shakes his head and swats a hand at her dismissively. “Don’t be ridiculous, I’m fine! Shouldn’t you be worried more about Aang? He got up close and personal with the Fire Lord’s _ abs _ .” He makes a disgusted face, sticking his tongue out and making a heaving noise. He pointedly ignores how it sends a dull, throbbing pain through the back of his skull.

Toph makes a similar noise, scrunching her little nose. If he wasn’t so focused on making sure Katara didn’t go full mom on him, he’d risk the punch he’d surely receive for calling his friend adorable. Because that look is, without a doubt, adorable.

Katara makes no comment. Instead, she gestures over to Aang who Sokka only just now realizes is curled up at the front of the saddle with Momo. “I’ve taken care of him. He’s sleeping it off now.”

Sokka’s gaze falls on Momo. The little lemur blinks at him.  _ Still mad at you for the meteor thing, _ Sokka wants to say, narrowing his eyes at the creature and immediately regretting it when another burst of pain shoots through his head. 

“Come here,” Katara orders in a tone that brokers no room for argument. Sokka grumbles, but sidles over to her. “Turn this way,” she instructs, guiding him to turn around so his back is to her. “Lemme see.”

She inhales sharply at whatever sight she sees on the back of his head. “Wow, Sokka, this looks like it hurt.”

Unable to help himself, Sokka replies, “You should see the wall.”

Katara’s fingers lightly graze over the area to inspect it. He hisses, and Katara makes a wickedly smug sound that wordlessly tells him “you deserved that.” 

“So what’s the damage?” Toph asks in mild interest as Katara pulls out her healing water and gets to work. The strangest tingling sensation begins niggling at the back of his head, but it’s actually kinda soothing. “I mean, we know the sarcasm is still intact, at least…” she says with a laugh.

“Thank  _ Yue _ ,” Sokka breathes in mock relief.

He can feel Katara’s scowl bearing down on him from behind. “He’ll be  _ just _ fine.”

“Hey, you can just bend the blood right outta this, right?” Sokka asks, grabbing at his tunic. 

Katara fumes behind him. “Is that  _ seriously _ all you’re worried about right now?!”

“To be fair, it  _ would _ look kinda suspicious if he just went walking around with blood all over him. Even a blind girl can figure that much.”

“Ugh! Yes, fine, I can clean it!” she huffs in exasperation.

“ _ Love youuuuuu _ !” Sokka obnoxiously sings over his shoulder. 

“Just get away from me before I give you another, much more serious wound to whine about,” Katara shoots back, but there’s no actual threat there. He knows she’s just annoyed and it’s delightful. He can’t help but enjoy getting a rise out of her sometimes. Besides, he knows she’s just upset because she was worried. Being obnoxious is his way of telling her he’s fine.

“But I wasn’t even whining about the first one!” he counters. Katara smacks him in the arm, and Sokka hastily scoots away, seeking protection from her wrath behind Toph’s small but resilient form.

“Uh uh, you’re not dragging  _ me _ into this!” Toph moves away from him. “All yours, Katara.”

He looks at her traitorously.

“Why ‘r’ you all yelling?” Aang mumbles from where he lays, now hugging Momo to him.

In unison, they all apologize to the slumbering Avatar and things settle down as they continue onto their next destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAAAAY! He did it! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was fun to write and I love Toph and Sokka bonding moments. 
> 
> Next chapter, you'll get to see a little bit of blindfold training at last, don't worry! It's gonna be fun.
> 
> Lemme know what you thought and what your favorite moments or lines were!
> 
> Thanks as always! Stay safe and stay happy!


	14. The Puppetmaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sokka pieces together the mystery of Hama's little town much sooner, and Hama's forced to desperate measures to keep her secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update again, everyone, but work kept me pretty busy recently! Also, this chapter got away from me a little. I thought it was gonna be a shorter one and then all of a sudden it was this monster (kinda like this fic, haha). 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, though! This chapter is a little more AU than most, but I think it still fits into the canon story pretty nicely. And it was just too much fun writing suspicious Sokka and shady Hama!
> 
> Trigger Warning: mention of rape later in the chapter when Sokka is talking to Hama. Very brief, but just wanted to let you all know just in case.

Sokka holds his old Water Tribe club aloft, ready to strike. There are birds chirping in the trees surrounding their camp and the grass and leaves softly rustle around him, but otherwise everything is quiet.

“I can’t hear _any_ \-- _oof!_ ” he curls in on himself as a hefty rock collides with his abdomen and steals his breath away.

“Quit yapping and listen!”

Sokka picks himself up off the ground, grumbling. “I _was_ listening! I didn’t hear anything! It’s just the wind and the birds and--”

Toph huffs in exasperation from somewhere some number of feet in front of him. He bets she’s crossing her arms and scowling at him right now, but there’s no way to tell for sure with the blindfold around his eyes obscuring his sight. “See, that’s the problem. You’re not listening hard enough and you’re listening to the wrong things.”

He throws his head back in frustration. “Ugggghhh, I’m _try_ ing!” he whines.

“Well, try harder!” Perhaps realizing she’s sounding a bit harsh, Toph adds in a more encouraging tone, “You knew this wouldn’t be easy, but you can do it.”

“Wouldn’t be easy? I would say it’s impossible if I hadn’t seen Piandao do it!”

There’s a pause. Sokka can sense that she’s busy thinking of some further advice to bequeath him. “Focus on what you want to hear. Listen to the wind, but pay attention when it shifts in ways it shouldn’t, like when a rock is flying. Listen to the grass rustling, but notice when it isn’t from the wind but from someone moving through it.”

Sokka nods consideringly. He learned all this when he learned hunting and tracking back home when he was little. All he has to do is reapply it to combat, particularly without the use of his eyes. 

“Let’s go again.”

They go at this for a while, perhaps an hour at least, before Sokka finally makes the slightest bit of headway when he swings and crumbles a rock before it can barrel him over for the fiftieth time.

“Yes!” Toph squeals delightedly. “Now _that’s_ progress!”

“I can’t believe it! I finally did it!” he cheers.

“Let’s keep going. If you did it once, you can do it again!”

He’s tired, but he agrees. They practice for another two hours before they call it quits. Toph permits him to remove the blindfold and Sokka eagerly yanks the thing off, blinking in the bright light of midday a few times as his eyes slowly adjust.

“Good work today, Snoozles.”

Sokka grins. “Thanks.”

They make their way to camp, Sokka with dirt and fresh welts all over from their training and Toph with a pleased little smirk on her face.

“How’d it go?” Aang asks as they join him and Katara.

“He got a couple hits in,” Toph tells them with an air of approval that makes Sokka swell with pride.

“Wow, that’s great!” Aang crows, beaming at Sokka.

“Way to go, Sokka,” Katara congratulates him.

“I just hope the bruises are worth it,” He says, wincing as he sits down.

“Pfft. Baby,” Toph mutters, lips curled into a grin.

* * *

A few hours later, they’re sitting around the fire finishing dinner and swapping scary stories. Sokka was sure that Aang’s stories would fall flat given he was raised by monks in a tranquil little neighborhood, but he forgot that the kid was also well-travelled pre-iceberg. Being back in the Fire Nation seems to have reminded him of a story or two his buddy Kuzon told him, and Aang winds up telling a couple that elicit a chill from him. 

Toph’s stories aren’t scary so much as they are violent, but the wickedly gleeful glint in her eyes along with her toothy smile are eerie enough. 

Katara comes up empty, ever the party pooper, and then it’s Sokka’s turn. He puts his heart into it and at some point realizes that _maaaaaaybe_ he’s getting a little carried away before he decides that he doesn’t care. He’s having fun and the others…

Sokka looks around as he finishes his story about the Blade of Wing-Fun from where he’s standing with his sword dramatically arced toward the sky. He clears his throat after the high-pitched wail he made and notices that, alas, no one is scared. In fact, they look bored.

Feeling like a doused fire, Sokka slumps back down onto the log he’s been using as a chair.

“I think I liked ‘the man with a sword for a hand’ better,” Aang says, delicately trying, as always, to soften the blow.

Toph is on the ground, leaning back on her hands and looking utterly unimpressed. “Water Tribe slumber parties must stink.” Rude.

He turns to Katara, who suddenly brightens up as if an idea has struck her. “No, wait! I’ve got one, and this is a true Southern Water Tribe story.”

Sokka crosses his arms, skeptical. “Is this one of those ‘a friend of my cousin knew some guy that this happened to’ stories?”

She shakes her head. “No, it happened to mom.” He stills, and so do the others. She has their rapt attention now.

By the time Katara’s finished her story, Sokka has retreated behind a nearby tree, nervously peering around its trunk. Aang is clutching Momo, drawing the lemur’s long ears over his own as he sinks into the collar of his shirt. Toph is sitting rigidly, leaning in towards Katara, her eyes wide. Most people wouldn’t be able to tell, but Sokka can see that even she’s a little scared.

Scary story time over, Sokka rejoins them around the fire. All this scary story telling has made him peckish. He reaches for one of the few remaining pieces of fish but freezes when Toph abruptly shifts forward, planting a hand on the earth beneath her and looking alarmed. “Wait. Did you guys hear that?” Everyone stiffens. “I hear people under the mountain...and they’re screaming.” Aang and Katara suddenly crowd around him. Sokka finds himself clutching them in terror.

And then he realizes what this must be and peels himself away from the others as he schools his expression. “Pfft, nice try,” he says, batting a hand at her. 

“No, I’m serious!” Toph insists. “I hear something.”

Katara still looks like a startled deerpossum, ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. Still, she replies as evenly as she can with, “You’re probably just jumpy from the ghost stories.”

Toph’s expression grows quizzical. “It just stopped…”

Aang tenses, eyes darting around nervously. “All right, now I’m getting scared!”

“It’s _fiiiiiine_ ,” Sokka drawls. “This is just Toph trying to get one over on--”

“Hello, children.” Everyone but Toph screams and huddles together behind her. Sokka clutches her forearm tightly. Purely because he’s worried about her safety, of course.

An old, grey-haired woman steps into the light of the fire, holding her hands up in an attempt to show she’s friendly and doesn’t mean them harm. “Sorry to frighten you all.”

Sokka’s the first once again to regain his composure, loosening his grip around Toph and the others and stepping forward as the self-appointed leader of the group. _It’s just an old lady. She’s harmless._ “You just caught us off guard, that’s all.”

The old lady does nothing but smile warmly. “My name is Hama.” She takes a quick glance at their camp. “You children shouldn’t be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby, why don’t you come back there with me for some spiced tea and warm beds?” _And just how much is that gonna cost us, huh?_ Sokka wonders to himself, thinking of the money they need to be spending wisely. They’ve been doing just fine out here. They don’t need tea or beds. 

And he’s not sure how he feels about some old lady traipsing around the woods late at night by _her_ self and propositioning kids as clients for her inn. That seems pretty strange to him…

“Yes, please!” Aang chirps, sounding more than happy to get out of the spooky woods at this point.

“Now, wait a minute--” Sokka starts, but everyone else cuts him off and he’s relegated to the minority and forced to go along with the rest. 

They follow her to her inn, located at the top of a steep slope surrounded by a handful of modest homes. She ushers them inside and gestures to the large square table at the far end of the kitchen area. Everyone takes a seat as Hama goes about fetching the fixings for the tea she’d coaxed them in with.

The gang sits there in awkward silence, appreciative of Hama’s generosity but unsure of what to say now. Sokka’s never been very good at small talk, just bad jokes and sarcasm. But Katara is ever-the-people-pleaser and starts up a conversation effortlessly.

“Thank you so much for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely in,” she gushes as Hama sets one cup, then another, and then a third on the table. Katara wordlessly, instinctively, passes them around to the others so she can accept the last cup for herself. _Ever the mom, putting everyone else first,_ Sokka notes.

“Aren’t you sweet?” Hama hands Katara the last cup, then joins them at the head of the table. “You know, you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in,” she adds with what strikes Sokka as an unusual casualness.

“What do you mean ‘disappearing?’” he asks.

Hama’s eyes alight with something he can’t describe, but it’s definitely unsettling. “When the moon turns full, people walk in and they don’t come out.” The hairs on Sokka’s arm raise and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Aang doing the same. Katara’s eyes are hauntingly wide and she seems unsure of what to say next.

Sokka opens his mouth to continue his questioning when Hama cheerfully interrupts. “Who wants more tea?” She reaches for the teapot she set in the middle of the table, missing the gaping expressions on everyone else’s faces.

Sokka himself is jarred by the abrupt change in demeanor. She seems totally unconcerned by these disappearances and the danger that is assuredly lurking nearby that is the cause of it all. It’s like it’s an entertaining bit of gossip, but nothing more. Meanwhile, these strange occurrences are having real consequences for the people whose lives are being impacted. For someone who seemed so concerned about their presence in the woods where the disappearances have been happening, Hama doesn’t seem too worried about herself or the townspeople themselves.

Hama’s hand stops halfway to the pot as her cheerful expression darkens with a frown. “Don’t worry,” she unconvincingly assures them. Well, maybe it’s convincing for the others, but there’s something about it that Sokka’s not buying. “You’ll all be completely safe here. Why don’t I show you to your rooms so you can get a good night’s rest?”

Aang is more than appreciative and eager to tuck in after the frightening evening they’ve had. Katara is bubbling with graciousness. Toph is pretty much indifferent, but Sokka senses that she’s got a niggling feeling similar to the one he has. Like something’s not quite right.

And sure, Sokka loves sleep --like, really loves sleep-- but he feels on edge as Hama guides them upstairs to their rooms. He frowns as he watches Katara, glued to Hama’s side, gushing about the decor and making small talk the whole way. He doesn’t like it. He’s not sure why, he just doesn’t.

When he lays down for bed, he’s still mulling it over, trying to determine what it is that seems so out of place. He turns about, unable to fall asleep. After perhaps an hour, Sokka grumbles to himself and pulls the sheets away. He gets up and quietly steps out into the dark hallway. 

He wants to tell himself he’s just being paranoid, but his gut is telling him that there’s something to his concern. With sleep evading him, he might as well make use of the opportunity nighttime provides. Everyone is asleep, including the innkeeper. 

It’s time to take a look around.

Sokka cautiously walks down the hall, past the other empty guest rooms. As he makes his way to the end of the hall, he notices another, narrower set of stairs leading upward. An attic.

Something about it draws Sokka in, like it holds the answers he needs.

“Trouble sleeping?” a scratchy old voice asks from behind.

Sokka jumps out of his skin, nearly falling over himself. He only just manages to catch himself on the wall and regain his balance as he turns to face Hama. Sokka puts a hand over his heart just to check and make sure it’s still working. Mother of Kuruk, she scared him!

“I’m sorry I startled you.” _She doesn’t look sorry_ , Sokka sourly notes. “It can be difficult to let your guard down and rest in a foreign place,” she says with an edge to her voice that makes him think there’s more to those words. 

“Right,” Sokka nervously replies, still trying to catch his damn breath.

“I could make some calming chamomile tea, if you’d like,” she says with a tranquil smile. In the light of the third quarter moon, Sokka sees her eyes gleam in an almost eerie way. And he could swear they’re a pale, glacial blue. Almost like Yue’s, but without the warmth and kindness. Perhaps when she was young, Hama’s eyes had been a more vibrant shade like Katara’s. Now, it looked like the color had been sapped from them.

Sokka awkwardly presses himself up against the wall as he sidesteps around her, back toward his room. Hama calmly watches, pivoting to face him as he moves. “No, that’s okay. I don’t want to trouble you.” He most certainly does _not_ want any drink _she_ has to offer. “I think I just needed a...a little walk,” he says, voice cracking a little. “Yeah. Short walk. That’s all. All good now!” He backpedals toward his room. “Thanks, see ya, bye! Uh, goodnight!” he gives a weak little wave and then disappears back into his room.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever fall asleep after that, but sheer exhaustion must take hold and override any lingering paranoia, because Sokka wakes up to a cold shadow peering over him. 

“Wakey-wakey!” a jubilant Hama greets him, smiling down. 

Sokka startles, yanking the blanket up over himself and feeling self-conscious.

“Time to go shopping!” Hama tells him as Katara’s face comes into view, as well. She’s got an identical, sickeningly cheerful grin on her face.

Sokka groans dramatically. He can feel the bags under his eyes. Sure, he apparently did manage to get to sleep, but it wasn’t the fitful kind of sleep he needed or wanted.

* * *

Sokka languidly trails behind Katara and Hama, Aang and Toph at either side of him. Katara has Hama’s arm linked in hers, a hand placed over the old woman’s as they come away from another merchant’s stall with a new collection of goods that they immediately, wordlessly, hand off to Sokka. He’s their pack mule, apparently. Sokka grumpily adds it to the budding collection of baskets hanging off his sword that he’s slung lazily over his shoulder.

The pair are talking animatedly about stupid, aimless things like cooking secrets, favorite recipes, the kinds of flowers that grow around the town this time of year, and so on. It reminds Sokka of how Katara was with Gran Gran, and a bitter feeling bubbles up inside of him because that’s _not_ Gran Gran. 

His sulking is interrupted when a conversation from a stall nearby catches his, as well as Aang and Toph’s, attention. A merchant and customer are discussing ash bananas. The customer’s upset about the lack of supply before the merchant reminds him that it’s a two day trip to retrieve more.

“Oh, right. Tomorrow’s the full moon,” the customer realizes with a frown. 

The merchant seeks the townsman’s eyes for understanding. “Exactly. I can’t lose _another_ delivery boy in the woods.”

Sokka turns to the others. “Another?” he whispers incredulously. “How many has this guy lost? Just how many of these people have disappeared during the full moon?”

Aang and Toph both appear equally as concerned about this development. 

“A dozen, at least, going by the number of voices I heard screaming under the mountain last night,” Toph says. Aang and Sokka both shiver.

“I don’t like it, either, Sokka…”

Sokka puts a finger to his chin and considers what they’ve learned so far. “People disappearing in the woods, weird stuff happening during full moons…” He scrunches his nose distastefully as he comes to a conclusion. “This just reeks of spirit world shenanigans.”

“It does?” Toph blinks.

“We had a situation like this before you came along, Toph. Some small Earth Kingdom village that reported people being taken by a giant spirit monster. Even I got taken by it. I spent a whole day in the spirit world.”

“Woah, really? What was it like?”

Sokka tries to recall it, but comes up blank aside from a few unsettling and vague memories. Honestly, he’s never talked to anyone about it and he doesn’t want to start now. “I don’t really remember...” he says with a frown. “but I _do_ recall that they _do not_ have bathrooms,” he states matter-of-factly. 

“How illuminating,” Toph dryly remarks.

“What am I, onion-banana juice?” Aang interrupts, perturbed by Toph deferring to Sokka’s experience with the spirit world. “I’m the Avatar! I know all about the spirit world! And I remember my time there,” he says, giving Sokka a sour glance that’s not undeserved.

“Exactly,” Toph casually replies, “You’re the Avatar. You have a connection with the spirit world and can pass between here and there easily. Sokka’s just a human being. He’s not supposed to be there and it’s not like he can just sit down, meditate, and pop on over there.”

Aang sighs. “Guess you’ve got a point there,” he admits.

“Let’s just get back to the problem at hand,” Sokka insists, trying to steer them back on track as they exit town and head down the road toward Hama’s inn. “Some shady stuff is goin’ down and we need to get to the bottom of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is just like last time.”

“And what did happen last time? You never said,” asks Toph.

Aang steps in to explain. Sokka’s happy for the intrusion, as his memory of the whole ordeal is pretty foggy even after Katara and Aang explained it to him. “A whole part of the forest just outside the town had been burned to ashes. It upset the spirit Hei Bai who lived there and guarded it. It took its anger out on the town by destroying buildings and kidnapping people, but once I helped it realize that the forest would grow back, it stopped.”

“So you think somebody here did something to the environment to upset the spirits?” 

Aang and Sokka both nod. “Wouldn’t surprise me,” says Sokka.

“I bet if we take a little walk around town, we'll find out what these people did to the environment to make the spirits mad.”

Sokka gives his friend a thumbs up. “And then you can solve this little mystery, lickity-split, Avatar style!”

Aang shrugs nonchalantly. “Helping people...that’s what I do!”

Toph rolls her eyes.

They make their way to the bottom of the hill that leads to the inn and Sokka sees Hama stop and turn to his sister. They share a quick word, and then Hama is doubling back, gracing them with what he thinks is intended as a sweet, friendly smile. Sokka sees something darker in her eyes that unsettles him.

“Mysterious little town you got here,” Sokka says as she approaches, eyeing her suspiciously.

Hama stops to address him. “Mysterious town for mysterious children,” she cryptically replies, looking directly back at him. A shiver runs down his spine. Without another word, Hama resumes her trek back toward town.

Once she’s out of earshot, Sokka rounds on his sister. “Where’s she going?” he asks accusingly.

Katara frowns at him, disapproving of his suspicious attitude toward their most hospitable and totally-not-creepy-at-all hostess. “She said she had some additional errands to run. She told me to bring everything inside and she’ll be back soon.” She begins the trek up the hill and Sokka and the others follow suit.

“What _kind_ of errands?” Sokka probes.

“I dunno! I’m sure she has plenty being the sole proprietor of an inn!” Katara exasperatedly replies. 

“Can’t be easy keeping up a nice place like this,” Aang concedes. As always, he takes Katara’s side being the love-sick little puppy that he is.

“Whatever. I’m glad to be free of her for a while. That lady gives me the creeps,” Toph says.

“Yes!” Sokka cries out in relief. At least someone is on the same page as him. As they step into the inn and into the kitchen to unload the morning’s haul, Sokka continues, “I can’t shake this feeling that there’s something strange about her. Like she knows something or is hiding something.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Katara says, immediately dismissing the whole notion. Sokka wants to rant at her for being so quick to trust. “She’s a nice old woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay! She kind of reminds me of Gran-Gran.”

He throws his hands up into the air in unrestrained frustration. “She’s _not_ Gran-Gran, Katara!” he yells. “We don’t know her! We don’t know a _single_ thing about her! Right before she left for those ‘errands,’ she called us ‘ _mysterious children_ .’ What do you think she meant by that? Who _says_ that?”

Katara turns on him, equally livid, hands on her hips and face arranged in a scowl. “Gee, I dunno, maybe because she found four strange kids camping in the woods at night? Isn't _that_ a _little_ mysterious?”

“Isn’t her wandering around the woods alone late at night when she _knows_ people are disappearing at night just a _little more_ mysterious?” Sokka fires back. They’re practically in each other’s faces now.

Aang nervously tries to step in and intercede. Avatar mediation skills activate. “I think maybe you both kinda sorta have a point. But Sokka, she’s just some old lady and we’re three benders and a master swordsman. She’s harmless!”

“I think Sokka’s got a point,” Toph says. “Appearances can be deceiving.” She gestures to herself for emphasis and Sokka uses every ounce of his willpower not to jump at Katara and go “HA!” in the most immature, vindictive, and stereotypical display of sibling rivalry because he’s pretty sure he’s won this argument.

Scowling, Katara secedes. “Fine,” she says, moodily laying a handful of ocean kumquats on the counter. “Be suspicious all you want, just don’t be rude. She’s been really kind to us,” she standoffishly adds. She punctuates her statement with a large white radish that she rather aggressively plops onto the counter, as well. She grabs a knife and begins chopping it.

Sokka would be seething too if the others hadn’t interrupted and proven at least most of his point. “I’m gonna take a look around.” he stalks out of the kitchen with Toph in tow. Aang reluctantly hangs behind, looking between them both as he tries to decide what he’d rather do. Sokka figures he’s interested in looking around given his sense of curiosity, but he feels emotionally bound to stay with Katara in an attempt to win all the little boyfriend material points he can with her. Sokka wants to vomit.

“Sokka, wait!” he hears Katara call after him. “Sokka,” she says, more sharply this time. He hears her light footsteps as she gives chase. “What are you doing?” she demands as he ascends a nearby flight of stairs.

“I don’t like being so in the dark. My instincts are telling me I need to get a better idea of who this lady is.”

“Sokka!” she says a third time in her mom voice, “You can’t just snoop around someone’s house!”

“It’ll be fine,” he says with a wave of his hand. “I just need some answers.” He stops in front of the first door on his left, but is disappointed to see it’s just an empty guest room. It’s spick and span and cozy. Frowning, Sokka closes it and continues to the next door, only to find the same thing.

Aang pipes up, sounding nervous, “She could be back any minute. Maybe we should…”

Katara sounds nervous, too, but mostly scolding. “Sokka, you’re gonna get us all in trouble, and this is just plain rude!”

He ignores her, finding a small cabinet embedded in the wall. He grabs the handles and gives it a small tug. When it doesn’t budge, he yanks harder.

“Sokka…” Katara warns.

“I’m not finished yet!” He grunts, giving the cabinet another strong tug. “Come on!” With one final pull, the cabinet bursts open and out spill a handful of frightening-looking marionettes. Everyone screams, and Sokka instinctively pulls out his sword and aims it at the offending closet full of puppets, backing up into the wall.

“Okay, that’s pretty creepy,” Aang shakily admits as he composes himself. 

Sokka picks himself up from the floor he’s slid down onto from the wall and puts his sword away as Katara gently shoves the puppets back into the cabinet.

Closing the door, she shrugs. “So she...has a hobby,” she says, aiming for nonchalance, but Sokka can hear the little quiver in her voice from being equally startled by the dolls. More confidently, she adds, “There’s nothing weird about that.” Finally, she turns to Sokka. “You’ve looked enough. Hama will be back soon. We should go back downstairs before she finds us creeping around her home--”

Once again, Sokka ignores her as he spots the door to the attic he noticed the night before. It’s got as eerie an air to it as it did then, too. He climbs up, determined, and walks to a door at the end of the hall. He hears the others follow behind him.

“Just an ordinary, puppet-loving innkeeper, huh?” he calls over his shoulder. “Then why does she have a locked door up here?” 

Katara shoves her way past the others to wedge herself between Sokka and the door as she can. “Probably to keep nosy people like you from snooping through her stuff!” she angrily replies.

Sokka brushes her off. “We’ll see,” he says as he crouches down to peer through the keyhole. Inside, he can make out an empty room save for a little chest perched on a small table just underneath the attic window. Sunlight beams down on it like it’s a precious relic on the same calibre as the fans of Avatar Kyoshi or Avatar Kuruk’s surfboard. “It’s empty except for a little chest.”

“See?” Katara says in a tone of superiority. “Nothing--”

“Are you kidding?” Sokka interrupts. “The fact that there’s nothing else in there but the small chest makes me all the more suspicious!” Katara makes an angry, disgusted noise.

“Maybe it’s treasure!” Toph says excitedly.

For a moment, Sokka swells with excitement at the prospect, but then he shakes his head and sobers up. “No, I don’t think it’s that.” It’s something personal and secret. Something big if she’s gone through all this trouble to hide it. He pulls his sword out and begins to pick the door’s lock with its tip.

“Sokka, what are you doing?! You’re breaking into a _private_ room!” Katara hisses.

“I have to see what’s in there!” Sokka insists as he continues his work, face screwed up in concentration. He lets out a little cry of victory when he hears the lock click open. At last, he pushes the door open and steps inside. The others are following, but he can sense Katara and Aang’s hesitation.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Aang frets, probably tapping his fingers together nervously.

With great anticipation, Sokka reaches for the chest. He sighs when the thing won’t open. “Locked,” he grumbles. “Maybe there’s a key somewhere…” he thinks, prying eyes scoping the room for one.

“Uh, hello,” Toph pipes up from behind. “You don’t need a key, you’ve got me. Hand it over.” She thrusts a palm out.

“Oh yeah,” Sokka absently says as he hands the chest over. Toph takes the space rock armband off from her arm and warps it into the shape of a key. She pushes the key inside and begins turning it about, ears perked for the sound of the tumblers shifting and opening.

“Come on, _come on_ …” Sokka anxiously goads, watching with wide eyes. Even Aang and Katara are leaned in, watching with bated breath.

“This isn’t as easy as it looks,” Toph grunts in annoyance. Sokka quietly apologizes.

“Guys, I dunno about this,” says Aang amongst the hush of held breaths and soft, clicking tumblers.

Katara finally seems to have had enough. With a huff, she begins to walk away. “I’ve had enough. I’m leaving!”

“Suit yourself,” Sokka shrugs. “Do it, Toph!”

Before Katara can exit the room, there’s a final click. Toph gives him the thumbs up, and Sokka grins broadly. He and Aang crowd around her and the box and, to Sokka’s amusement, Katara rejoins them, as well. Together, they slowly lift the lid of the box in anticipation and…

“I’ll tell you what’s in the box.”

Sokka’s heart leaps out of his chest. The three of them cry out in fear and alarm. Even Toph looks startled, but she hides it better than the rest of them. Perhaps she’d been so tied up in discovering the secret inside the chest that she forgot to pay attention to any additional people in the inn. Then again, the place was also heavily constructed of wood. Maybe even Toph couldn’t have sensed her coming. Hama seemed crazy light on her feet.

Recovering far too slowly for it to be of any use, Sokka tries to hastily hide the chest behind his back as the four of them turn to face Hama. As she approaches them, Sokka sees the knowing look in her eyes and knows the jig is up. Bowing his head in shame, he hands the box over. The others are also bowing their heads in guilt, silently seeking forgiveness for being caught snooping.

Hama says nothing, wordlessly opening the chest for them all to see. Sokka and the rest peer up to watch her closely. Everyone watches with fear and anticipation as she reaches in and grabs--

“A comb?” Sokka cries in disbelief, eyeing the thing wildly. This isn’t what he’d expected. But wait, no...he recognizes that craftsmanship. The colors, the materials used to make it…

The realization hits him at the same time it must hit Katara, and they both gasp as Hama confirms it. “It’s my greatest treasure. It’s the very last thing I own from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe.”

Everyone’s gawking at her now, even Toph. 

“You’re from the Southern Water Tribe?” Katara breathlessly asks.

Hama smiles. “Just like you.”

“How did you know?”

Hama shrugs. “I heard you talking around your campfire.”

Oh. _Oh_ , so that’s why she approached them…It had nothing to do with them being strange children out in the woods alone. It was all because she was wandering about and overheard them talking about the Water Tribe.

“Okay, but why didn’t you tell us?” Sokka asks, puzzled by the secrecy.

“I wanted to surprise you. I bought all this food today so I could fix you a big, Water Tribe dinner. Of course, I can't get all the ingredients I need here, but ocean kumquats are a lot like sea prunes, if you stew them long enough.”

Aang makes a not-so-subtle disgusted noise. “Great,” he sarcastically replies. In different circumstances, Sokka would smile like a proud older brother. He’s taught his pupil well.

Katara grins from ear to ear at the old woman. “I knew I felt a connection with you right away!”

Sokka frowns, crossing his arms. “And I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we’re both right.” _Although I still think there’s something more to this_ , he thinks to himself. He doesn’t know what, but there’s something about Hama that still bugs him even after finding the supposed great and terrible secret. Her being from the Southern Water Tribe isn’t where the mystery surrounding Hama ends, he just knows it.

But for now, he’s got no choice but to admit he was wrong, as Katara pointedly reminds him with a painful punch to the arm-- _Mother of Kuruk, was she getting lessons from Toph, too?!_ “I’m sorry we were sneaking around,” he adds, and the glare Katara’s giving him lightens up.

“Apology accepted,” Hama says with an easy grin, and something about the way she so quickly and easily forgives them just doesn’t quite sit right with him. It’s almost like she’s just happy to have earned their trust again. Well, Katara’s trust, at least.

Sokka grimaces as she leads them back downstairs and into the kitchen. Something still smells fishy here, and it’s not the ocean kumquats.

* * *

His suspicions of Hama are pushed to the wayside temporarily as he and the others work together to prepare their Water Tribe feast. Sokka’s not gonna lie, it’s nice to smell the familiar scents of Water Tribe cuisine. He’s sorely missed it. And it’s actually really nice to work together to prepare a great meal. Katara’s a natural, of course. She’s been doing this for ages already. Sokka focuses on the meats because even if he’s no Katara in the kitchen, he knows how to hunt, cut, cook, and enjoy his favorite thing in the world. Toph just passes stuff along since she’s pretty much clueless as to what to do --living in a spacious palatial estate where your parents don’t let you do _anything_ will do that-- and Aang seems more comfortable in the kitchen than Sokka thought he would. What he doesn’t know, Sokka notes he’s all too happy to ask Katara for help with. 

“Y’know, in the air temples, we all worked together to do the cooking and cleaning. It taught us responsibility and cooperation. It was always a good way to bond with each other and it made the work easier. And more fun!” Aang tells them cheerfully while peeling some carrots. 

“That sounds nice. It can be difficult doing everything yourself,” Katara says, eyeing Sokka particularly hard.

“How wonderful,” Hama croons as she stirs the kumquats floating around in a pot of boiled water.

After a couple hours of prepping, dinner’s finally finished. Everyone sits down and Hama asks who wants a helping of five flavor soup. Given that he and the others helped make the meal and he’s been keeping a close eye on Hama, Sokka feels no guilt over enthusiastically holding out his bowl for a helping of it. Spirits, he’s missed a good bowl of five flavor soup!

Katara just as eagerly offers her bowl, as does Aang (once he’s been assured it’s vegetarian friendly) and that’s when Hama hits them with another surprise.

“You’re a waterbender!” Katara gasps as Hama swiftly waterbends the soup into everyone’s bowls. “I’ve never met another waterbender from our tribe!”

Hama’s expression darkens with grief and bitterness. “That’s because the Fire Nation wiped them all out. I was the last one.”

As much as he may distrust her, Sokka doesn’t sense any kind of secret or deception here. She’s being completely honest. But how is it she wound up here in the Fire Nation? There’s a story here she’s probably been dying to tell for decades, and so Sokka asks, “How did you wind up out here?”

“I was stolen from my home,” Hama tells them, beginning the long and sad tale of how she was kidnapped and locked away in prison.

By the end of her tale, Sokka feels for her. Really, really feels for her. He can’t imagine being torn away from his home like that. Being treated like scum; watching your friends and neighbors be captured and killed. But there are a few things still nagging him… “How did you get away?” What did she do? How did only she manage and no one else? “And why did you stay in the Fire Nation? Why not come back home?”

Hama hangs her head, shaking it slowly. “I’m sorry,” she says, sounding emotionally drained. “It’s just too painful to talk about anymore.”

“Whatever you did, it must’ve been genius,” Sokka says, not-so-subtly attempting to get her to elaborate.

Katara clearly gets where he’s going with this and shoots him a disapproving look from where she crouches over Hama, holding the woman by the shoulders in consolation. “We completely understand,” She says with deep sadness and understanding. “The raids are difficult for everyone to talk about. We lost our mother in a raid.”

Sokka wonders, not for the first time, how Katara would feel if she knew the whole story about what happened to their mother. 

Hama pats Katara’s hand and glances between the two of them. “Oh, you poor things.”

Sokka averts her gaze. He knows it’s not a competition; that everyone’s feelings and experiences are valid, but Hama has definitely gotten the short end of the stick here. It almost feels wrong to ask for sympathy when she’s just told her own horrific and harrowing tale.

A somber silence falls among them. Toph awkwardly sips at her soup. Aang fiddles with his vegetables. Sokka stares into his bowl and tries not to imagine just how Hama got out of prison or why she stayed here. It’ll drive him nuts, and he knows she’ll never tell him.

Katara breaks the silence, going to take her place next to Hama once more at the table. She stares at Hama in wide-eyed wonder as she takes the woman’s hand in her own. “I can’t tell you what it means to meet you. It’s an absolute honor. You’re a hero!” she says with awe.

Whatever he may think of Hama otherwise, Sokka can’t disagree with that. She fought like a true Water Tribe warrior. She held out longer than anyone else both at home and in prison. He admires that.

Hama looks to Katara with genuine hope and relief in her eyes. “I never thought I'd meet another Southern Waterbender. It means just as much to me to meet you. Knowing you exist means that the Fire Nation didn’t succeed in their mission.” She takes Katara’s hand in both of hers and holds it close. With a fierce determination for a woman her age and a spark of hope that he hasn’t yet seen from Hama, she tells Katara, “I'd like to teach you what I know, so you can carry on the Southern Tradition when I'm gone.”

Katara, of course, is elated. She practically jumps out of her chair and throughout the rest of dinner, she eats so quickly that Sokka fears she might get hiccups afterward.

He’s kinda delighted when she actually does, and he and Toph tease her mercilessly the rest of the night about it. Aang insists that it’s kinda cute and blushes madly when Katara bashfully thanks him. 

When bedtime rolls around, Sokka once again finds himself unable to sleep. Alone with his thoughts once more, he can’t help but circle back to Hama’s story. Why stay in the Fire Nation?

It’s understandable that she knew the raids would continue and that she could be recaptured if she went home. But then why not move to the Northern Water Tribe or even the Earth Kingdom? Why stay in the Fire Nation? It doesn’t make sense. Here she couldn’t be herself and she has to constantly worry about being found out. Sokka knows it’s no easy life to live.

Unless there was something else keeping her here.

Sokka thinks back to her story and how she talked about what happened to her. He thinks of when she finally shut down, saying it hurt too much to talk about but...but all Sokka really sensed was anger, now that he thinks about it.

She wasn’t just sad about what had happened to her, and she wasn’t just angry. She was seething. 

She didn’t stay in the Fire Nation because she had to, she stayed because she wanted to. She was here for revenge.

Suddenly, the disappearances make a lot more sense. 

Sokka’s heart races as all the pieces to the puzzle come together: The people are only disappearing because of Hama, and they’re only disappearing during a full moon because that’s when her waterbending, like every other waterbender’s, is strongest then. They’re disappearing because Hama is taking revenge on the entire FIre Nation for what happened to her and the other waterbenders of their tribe. She holds them in the mountain, where Toph heard people screaming, and she’s-- Well, what _is_ she doing with them? Sokka shudders to think of it, especially when he thinks of the puppets he and the others discovered earlier. Were these representative of all the people she captured and killed?

He bolts up in bed, gets dressed, grabs his sword, and heads for Toph’s room. Perhaps he’ll tell her first, then Aang, and lastly Katara. Katara will have the hardest time believing him, after all. And he hates having to tell her that this idol of hers is evil. It’ll crush her but...it has to be done. 

Knowing Hama will be alone with her for “training” tomorrow frightens the living daylights out of him. He doesn’t want this monster anywhere near his sister, waterbender from their own tribe or not.

To make matters worse, they have less than 24 hours to do something about Hama before she kidnaps and potentially even kills another innocent civilian.

Toph’s room is two doors down. Thankfully not far. Sokka opens his door slowly, about to peek out to check if the hall is clear of evil waterbending old ladies when someone on the other end shoves the door open and sends him stumbling backward.

The door closes behind them and even in the dark, Sokka knows it’s her.

“You’re a sharp one, aren’t you,” she notes as she comes toward him. Sokka holds up his sword and aims it at her. 

“Stay away from me. I know what you’ve done. I’m not letting you hurt anyone else.”

Hama laughs quietly. “You’re not special like your sister. Or your friends, for that matter. You’re no match for me.”

“Try me,” Sokka growls, taking a step toward her. 

She’s grinning wickedly even as his blade grazes her neck. She even steps into it a little, which is like...Azula-level crazy. “As fun as that would be, I don’t need to.”

Sokka’s face screws up in confusion. What in the name of Kuruk--?

Hama whips out a small pouch and dumps a handful of some powder into her palm.

Instinctively, Sokka’s pulse quickens. Whatever it is, it can’t be good. “Do I need to remind you I’ve got a blade pointed at your throat?”

She laughs again. “You’re not gonna use that on me. You may not agree with my methods, but I don’t think you disagree with my purpose. The Fire Nation’s hurt you and your family just like it has me and mine.”

He shakes his head. “No. I don’t agree with abducting and killing innocent people!”

“They’re not innocent, they’re _Fire Nation_ , Sokka. We’re at _war_ with them!”

“These people aren’t the ones who put you in a cage and killed our people. They’re good people just minding their business!”

“Sokka, the only _good_ Fire Nation citizen is a _dead_ one.”

“And that’s why I’ve got no choice but to take you in,” Sokka replies. “What you’re doing is _wrong_.”

Hama chuckles, and boy is he getting sick of that twisted sound. “You don’t have the guts to raise that pathetic thing against me.”

Fuck. She’s right. He’s not sure he does…

And it’s that moment of hesitation that allows Hama to lean in, take a deep breath, and blow.

* * *

Sokka wakes up feeling groggy and confused. Wherever he is is dark and cold. He can hear people murmuring and whimpering around him. He slowly opens his eyes, but he has to blink a few times to get them to focus. He goes to rub the sleep from his eyes, but finds he can’t.

Feeling a lot more awake all of a sudden, his heart rate spiking, Sokka looks up and suddenly understands why he can’t rub his eyes: his hands are cuffed and chained to the ceiling. 

Trying to quell the panic rising in his chest, Sokka begins to take in the rest of his surroundings. It’s clear now that he’s in a cave; somewhere deep underground if he’s not mistaken. And there are about 13 other people besides him in the exact same state. Their clothes are tattered and dirty, their faces tear-streaked and also covered in dirt. Some look very dangerously thin. Everyone looks terrified and hopeless.

“Oh, finally. You’re awake,” says a feminine voice somewhere to his right. It takes Sokka’s sleep-addled head a moment to drag itself about to face the owner of said voice. When he does, he sees an emaciated woman in dark red clothes that must’ve once been quite nice but are now ragged and covered in grime. She looks relieved to see him, but also quite sad. 

Awake. Sokka doesn’t recall going to sleep in the first place, now that he thinks about it. But he can’t remember what happened and how in the world he got here, either…

As if expecting his reply, she tells him, “You got here several hours ago. Or so we’re assuming.”

We. The other people chained to the cave ceiling.

“I don’t…” Sokka trails off. He just doesn’t. He doesn’t know where he is, how he got here, where his friends are, why he’s chained to the damn ceiling…

“I think she drugged you.” That would explain why he feels all out of sorts. “It’s not a full moon yet so she wasn’t able to kidnap you like the rest of us. Did you find her out?” The woman asks.

Sokka blinks, thinking hard. Pieces start to come back to him. Laying in bed unable to sleep, realizing something...something about Hama…a cloud of dust smacking him in the face... “Hama’s the one that’s been making people disappear!”

The woman looks unimpressed but sympathetic. “Yeah. And now she’s made you disappear, too.”

The shiver that runs down Sokka’s spine has nothing to do with the chill of the cave. “No, she hasn’t. I have friends. They’ll find me.”

“That’s what we thought, too,” the woman says, a hitch in her voice. 

“It’s just a matter of time now,” another voice pipes up, a man this time. 

Sokka grits his teeth. “No! No, I’m sorry that no one’s found you yet, but my friends aren’t going to stop until they find us all. We know something weird’s been going on in this town and we’re--” he stops, frowning as he realizes that he can’t really say ‘we’ anymore, can he? “--they’re not going to stop until they get to the bottom of things.”

“That’s an awful lot of hope you got there, kiddo,” a second man says.

Sokka frowns, annoyed, and then rolls his eyes and groans as he realizes: “Ugh, I sound just like my _sister_!”

“You’ve got a sister?” The woman asks.

“Yeah, K--uh...Sapphire.”

“And your name?”

Sokka thinks of Piandao. _Try Li. There’s a million Lis._ “Li.”

“I’m Hina. I’d say it’s nice to meet you, Li, but…” she eyes the chains above her head and his.

“Likewise.”

“Hey, Li, how’s the ash banana guy doing? Mr. Takahashi?” asks a young man of about Sokka’s age on the other side of the cave. 

“Wait a minute, are you one of the delivery boys that went missing?”

The boy nods. "Ryui Yamada."

"There were a couple others, but she--" begins one of the men who'd spoken earlier. He's got a thick, unkempt beard and sagging eyes. His voice is hoarse either from lack of use or overuse because he's been screaming for help. Sokka dubs him Beard Man.

Sokka shivers at thought of what Hama might've done to those other delivery boys.

"How long ago was that?" Sokka asks. He wonders if she gets rid of her captives whenever she feels like it or if she keeps to a routine like she does with her abductions.

"A little over a month ago," says Beard Man. So it's not tied to the full moon cycle, then. "Some time between my abduction and his," he says, nudging his head in Ryui's direction.

"Wait," Sokka says, a sickening thought striking him as he thinks on Beard Man's words. "How long have all of you been here?"

"Two months," says Beard Man, even though Sokka's already surmised that.

“Three months,” Hina says grimly.

“A month,” says one of the men who’d spoken earlier. Sokka dubs him Mustachio because even grown out and unkempt, he's still a fantastic mustache. Sokka's jealous.

“She nabbed me last month, too,” says a younger woman who looks to be in her twenties. He decides to call her The Fiance after he sadly spots the dirty ring on her finger in the flickering light of the torches.

“Three months ago, also,” says another woman about Hina's age.

Sokka’s jaw hangs open. “Wait, how did she get you all, anyway? Are any of you benders? Did you put up a fight?”

The others look at each other and frown, like they’re about to break some really bad news to him. Good ol’ Hina takes it upon herself to give him the answer, her face pale and eyes haunted. “She’s some kind of witch. Like a demented puppet master. I don’t know exactly what it was she did, but one moment I’m grabbing kindling for a fire for dinner and the next I’m dropping the wood and walking off into the mountains. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t control my own body. And although I couldn’t see her, I could feel that witch behind me tugging on my limbs like they were on strings.”

“What?” Sokka breathes, unable to comprehend what she’s saying. “But that’s not--How is that possible?”

“It’s true. I dunno how, but it’s true. Same thing happened to me. To all of us,” says ash banana--Ryui.

“Look, I know we wanna call something we don’t understand and that scares us magic or witchcraft or whatever, but there’s an explanation to this. I dunno how she’s controlling people, but it’s got to do something with the full moon and her waterbending.”

“Waterbending?” several people gasp.

“You mean she’s a waterbender?” The Fiance asks.

Sokka nods. “Whatever she’s doing, she can only do it when her waterbending is at its strongest, which is during a full moon. That’s why people are only disappearing on the night of a full moon.”

He hears this revelation settle among the other captives.

“I can’t believe it,” says Mustachio.

“She’s lived here for years and I never knew,” an older woman says.

“She fooled us all,” says The Fiance.

“But why? What did we ever do to her?” Ryui asks.

Sokka sighs. “The Fire Nation attacked her home, took her from it, and imprisoned her for years. They killed her friends and family. They tried to kill every last waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe. That’s why.”

“What? We didn’t do that!” cries Ryui, sounding very genuinely shocked and appalled. Sokka thinks back to Aang's time at the Fire Nation school he accidentally enrolled himself in. Those kids had been taught that the Air Nomads had an army. These people had no idea the Fire Nation attempted a second genocide down in the Southern Water Tribe. What other insane lies were they fed?

“How do you know that?” demands a man on the other end of the cave. He hears the waver in his voice, like he's beginning to doubt what he knows now, too. Sokka feels a twinge of pity for him.

“Because she told me,” he says, answering the second question. “She knows that, but it doesn’t matter. She told me…” her words from the night before come back to him, equally as chilling as they were then. “She told me ‘the only good Fire Nation citizen is a dead one.’”

“Oh, Agni,” Hina breathes.

“I didn’t know we did that to the Water Tribe…” says Ryui, sounding crushed. 

“She’s sick,” spits a young man by one of the torches.

“Agni, I’d want revenge, too, if it were me,” a woman toward the back of the cave begrudgingly admits. There are a couple murmurs of agreement.

“But attacking everyone isn’t the answer. I tried to tell her that, and that’s how I wound up here,” Sokka tells them.

“It was honorable of you to try,” says Beard Man.

Sokka thanks him, and then, more to himself than anyone else, mutters, “Seriously, what is it with you guys and honor?”

* * *

At some point, Sokka must’ve drifted asleep, because the next thing he knows there’s a hand on his cheek and a distantly familiar voice telling him to wake up. They sound impatient. Sokka wants to tell them to fuck off, he’s already trapped in a cave with his arms suspended from chains. He’s entitled to a nap or two.

“Wake up, Sokka! Come on, the poppies have worn off by now, surely!”

Ugh. It’s Hama.

He lifts his head, blinking until her wrinkled face comes into focus. 

“Have a nice nap?”

“Do you mean the natural sleep I just had or the drugged one courtesy of you that I had earlier?” Sokka bitterly replies. 

Hama barks out a laugh. “You’re very cheeky. If I’d had children, I would’ve raised them far better.”

“Screw you,” Sokka shoots back. It earns him a slap across the face, one he might’ve tried harder to avoid if he’d known earlier that she had nails the length of his damn thumb beforehand. When she smacks him, her nails dig into his cheek and give him three shallow cuts. He can feel the blood trickling.

“That’s no way to talk to your elders.”

“No, it’s not. It’s the way I talk to old ladies who abduct and kill people.”

Hama frowns. “I wish you’d see things the way I do,” she tells him, cupping his face and smearing her thumb across the scratched skin to wipe away the blood. Sokka squirms, trying to angle himself away, but his options are rather limited here given how he’s restrained.

“Look,” Sokka pointedly replies as she draws her hand away. “What happened to you was wrong and horrible, and I get wanting revenge--”

Hama tuts, shaking her head. “I don’t think you do. You lost your mother, but that’s nothing compared to the _years_ of suffering I faced.”

“It’s not a competition!” Sokka shouts back. More calmly, he adds, “But just so you know, that’s not all that happened to me and my family. There were raids before the one that killed my mom. There was one right before I was born, and I didn’t know until I was eight, but one of the raiders, he--” he chokes on the word that he knows comes next. It makes him sick to think of what happened to her and that he’s a result of that.

“He raped her, didn’t he?” Hama finishes for him through a tightly clenched jaw. He can see the flash of anger in her eyes.

Sokka nods, unable to look at her, unable to speak. 

“Perhaps you do understand something of the pain I went through.”

“There’s more,” Sokka quietly tells her, and Hama perks her ears. “When I was eight, I learned that it happened. I only learned because I...because something happened that made her have to tell me.” Hama nods for him to continue, absolutely riveted. He can feel the rage radiating off of her. “We were in our home when a wind blew in and killed the fire. I went to grab the flints, but the fire was already lit. When I looked to my mom and Gran Gran, I asked if they’d done it, but they didn’t. It was me.”

“You’re a firebender,” she hisses.

Sokka tearfully nods. “That’s when she told me what happened, and I’ve been struggling with it ever since. No one but my Gran Gran and my mom knew. She was going to help me tell Katara and our dad, but she was killed before she could. They still don’t know.”

Hama takes a step back, eyeing him from head to toe as if seeing him in a whole new light. He wishes he could understand the look on her face, but he doesn’t. It’s a whole host of emotions he can’t put together, even if he recognizes the flash of anger, the disgusted grimace, the wrinkles that a frown brings forth around her lips.

In the end, she settles on anger and confusion. “You should understand better than anyone, even your sister, why I’m doing this, then. They’ve taken your identity away from you! Made you not wholly Water Tribe and not wholly Fire Nation! You should be _begging_ to join me in my mission to _eradicate_ them all!” she cries, getting louder and louder.

Sokka wishes he could wipe the tears off his face, but with the current circumstances, he’s got no choice but to let them trail down his cheeks in full view. Swallowing, Sokka steadies his nerves and looks up to face her. “Y’know, there’s a few problems with that plan of yours,” he calmly replies. Hama raises a brow at him. “You can’t kill them all. Even if you somehow did, it wouldn’t take away the pain or bring back the people you lost. It won’t change anything. These people don’t deserve your wrath; they didn’t do anything to you. You’re just as bad as the soldiers who hurt you.”

“I am nothing like them!” Hama practically screams. Sokka can hear the others in the cave gasping and crying out in fear, afraid she’ll unleash her rage on them. But no, it’s all focused on Sokka. Honestly, he’s okay with that. Let her take it out on him if it spares these innocent people.

She’s lost in her emotions, but Sokka suddenly feels a little more in control of his. In fact, he’d dare to say he has the upper hand now, even if only just a little. “Whatever you say, Hama,” he casually replies. It earns him another slap across the face and some extra cuts, but it’s worth it to have even this little bit of control.

“I think you’re forgetting I have you locked away down here where no one can find you. Your friends don’t even know you’re missing yet! They’ll be too busy hunting down the ‘vengeful spirit’ they think is responsible for all of this. And Katara...Your sister and I have some one-on-one lessons to get to.”

Sokka uselessly strains against the chains, leering at her. “You stay away from my sister, you evil hag!” he roars.

Hama laughs. “You’re welcome to try and stop me.”

Sokka growls, and her laughter grows. She pats his scratched cheek, making the cuts sting, and then retreats back to the mouth of the cave.

“Let’s hope she makes a wiser choice than you did!” she calls over her shoulder.

“Leave her out of this!” he shouts after her, but it’s no use. Hama’s laughter reaches a crescendo, the sound echoing off the walls and ringing in his ears. It’s a sickening taunt.

Hama’s laughter fades a moment later as she leaves, and Sokka’s left in the chilling silence that she leaves behind with the knowledge that she’s planning something that has to do with his sister. And he’s helpless to stop it.

“Aaaaghh!” he shouts, wriggling in his chains in frustration. And then he takes a deep, calming breath and stills. With a sigh, he closes his eyes and prays that Toph and Aang, at least, will figure things out and save Katara. 

“You’re from the Southern Water Tribe,” Hina murmurs in shock a moment later, causing Sokka’s eyes to snap open.

“But you’re a firebender,” says someone else, sounding torn between confusion and anger and pity.

Sokka looks about the room and realizes that everyone has just heard the conversation he had with Hama. He pales, suddenly glad for the chains keeping him up. “Yeah,” he dumbly replies.

“I’m sorry about what happened to you and your family. I swear, I had no idea the Fire Nation did those kinds of things. In school…” Hina starts, but Sokka cuts her off.

“I know. You’re taught something completely different. It’s not your fault.”

Ash-banana boy looks at him in awe. “So you really don’t want to hurt us like she does.” Sokka shakes his head. “She took you because you wouldn’t join her.”

“No. I figure you heard what I told Hama: hurting any of you won’t bring back the people we’ve lost. Violence can’t be met with violence. It just causes more.” Spirits, now he sounds like _Aang_! If only the airbender could see him now…

“You’re a good person...Sokka,” Hina softly tells him.

Looking around at her and the others, Sokka answers, “And so are all of you. We’re gonna get outta here. One way or another, I promise you we will.”

* * *

Sokka spends the rest of the day screaming himself hoarse and rubbing his wrists against the chains so much that they bleed in a grand, and vain, attempt to get Toph’s attention. He momentarily gets the others to join in, saying that if they’re loud enough or perhaps create a distinct enough rhythm his friend will be able to distinguish them from the rest of the noise in the world around her.

Unfortunately, they give up a lot sooner than he does. It’s not until much, much later that anything happens. Having sapped himself of all his energy, Sokka’s head is lolling as he nods off to sleep when he hears two sets of footsteps he knows all too well running toward them.

“Sokka!” Aang shouts.

He immediately feels reinvigorated. “Aang! Toph!”

A moment later the pair finally appears. “Wow, there’s a lot of you,” Toph notes.

“Sokka, you’re okay!”

Sokka smiles, glad to see them, but… “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but do you think you could hurry it up a bit? These chains are _not_ very comfy.”

“Oh, right,” Aang says, rubbing the back of his neck panda-sheepishly. Toph glares at him, but complys. She makes quick work of his cuffs and moves on to the others. Aang helps Sokka steady himself as he lowers his sore arms back down and stretches, happy for the return of free motion.

“Did Hama do that to you?” Aang asks, pointing at his face and wincing.

“Yeah. Enough about me, though, we need to get to Katara!” Aang nods in agreement.

Toph pauses her work to address the two of them. “You go ahead and go after her. I’ll help everyone else get out of here.”

“Thanks, Toph.” Sokka grabs Aang’s wrist and yanks him out of the cave.

* * *

When they make it to the clearing in the woods where Katara and Hama are, it’s evident that they’re interrupting a fight. Hama is panting harshly as she pulls herself up from the ground, her hair having mostly fallen out of the half-bun she’s put it in. Katara stands on their side of the clearing, her back to them as she faces Hama. She’s in a fighting stance, hands raised and poised to attack should Hama regain herself and resume the fight.

“Katara! Get away from her, she’s dangerous! She’s the one that’s been making people disappear!” Sokka calls to her.

He sees her jump at hearing his voice, but she doesn’t turn around to face him. Smart. “I know.” He can hear how disappointed and crushed she is. He’s sorry that she’s finally found another southern waterbender only to discover that said waterbender is a criminal. 

“Give up, Hama, you’re outnumbered now!” says Aang.

“No,” Hama says, an ominous laugh bubbling out of her as she stands. “You’ve outnumbered yourselves!” With a raise of her arms, Sokka feels his body stiffen, like it’s no longer his own. With a flick of the wrist, she sends him and Aang flying toward Katara. They both scream.

Thankfully, Katara expertly dodges them. Unfortunately, it means Sokka goes flying into the dirt. For a moment he feels his body regain control of itself, but his limbs feel like jelly and it makes picking himself up off the ground tricky. 

As he lies there, his stomach churns as he realizes that this is how Hama was able to take so many people. She’s found the water, and the blood, inside the body and learned to control it. He thinks he’s gonna be sick, but it seems Hama isn’t done with him yet.

Once again, his body goes rigid. Hama has him pick himself up off the ground, unsheathe his sword which Aang had given back to him on the way over, and start swinging it haphazardly as she moves him toward Katara.

“Katara, look out!” he frantically shouts at her, glad that he can at least control what he says. “I can’t stop it!”

“It’s okay, Sokka, I can handle this,” she assures him, bending water out of _grass_ and batting him away like a fly. It knocks the wind out of him.

“This feels weird!” he dazedly hears Aang shout as Hama focuses her dark puppetry on him. _Thank Yue she can’t control a person’s bending_ , Sokka thinks as he rolls around to see Aang flail about at the old woman’s command.

Katara bends the mass of water she’s stolen from the ground at him and sends him sailing into a tree, then freezes the water over to glue Aang to the tree with his arms pinned to his sides. “I’m sorry, Aang!” she calls out apologetically.

“It’s okay.”

Sokka inwardly curses when he feels Hama take control of him once more. She has him coming at Katara wildly swinging his sword about again. Sokka’s eyes are wide as he nears her. “ _Kataraaaaa_!” he warns at the same time his sister bends water out of a nearby sapling and flings it at him. It knocks him back into a tree and freezes over at her command, effectively pinning him and his sword to it. Sokka hates being restrained yet again after just getting free, but it beats being forced to slice his sister in half. 

Hama chuckles, like this is some kind of child’s play. “Don’t hurt your friends, Katara...and don’t let them hurt each other!” she says, raising both arms outward toward him and Aang, trapped to trees at opposite ends of the clearing. The ice cracks and Sokka’s freed, only to be thrown into the air toward Aang with his sword pointed in front of him. Sokka’s eyes widen with fear. A defenseless Aang flies toward him with a similar look on his face.

Sokka screams as he desperately tries to aim his sword away from Aang, knowing exactly what will happen if he doesn’t.

“No!” Katara shouts, and Sokka and Aang both freeze just a couple of feet from each other and drop to the ground. Sokka feels control of his limbs come back to him and he looks up in confused relief to see what’s happening.

Hama stands stiff in the midst of the clearing, twitching as she tries to resist. For the first time, Sokka sees pure, unbridled fear in her eyes. _Don’t like the taste of your own medicine, huh, Hama?_ He’d smirk at seeing this awful woman put in her place, but he doesn’t because he catches sight of Katara and his heart stills.

Fearful at first, then regretful and sad, Katara slowly lowers Hama to the ground using the very technique the older waterbender used. In the moonlight, as the breeze blows fallen strands of damp hair out of Katara’s face, Sokka sees the tears streaming down her cheeks. 

Hama fights Katara’s control, but pauses when Toph and the others from the cave break through the trees. Realizing her fight is over, Hama slumps forward and bears her wrists for the shackles that one of the prisoners brings forth. They quickly cuff her and begin to lead her away.

“You’re going to be locked away forever,” one man says.

“Take a good look, Hama. This is the last full moon you’ll _ever_ see,” says Hina.

Hama snickers. “No matter. My work here is done.” She peers over her shoulder, pale blue eyes flashing wickedly. “Congratulations, Katara. You’re a bloodbender.” She throws her head back and laughs as they drag her away.

Katara drops to her knees, hand over her mouth as she begins to openly sob. Aang rests a hand on her shoulder from behind and Sokka kneels down beside her, wrapping an arm around her. 

* * *

Sokka knocks on Katara’s door the next morning, belongings slung over his shoulder. Katara hadn’t really agreed to stay at Hama’s inn another night before they left, but she hadn’t refused to, either. In fact, she’d hardly said anything since they left the woods where she faced Hama. Sokka is beginning to grow worried.

She doesn’t answer, even after he tries a second time. “I’m coming in,” he warns, taking the silence as consent to enter. He opens the door to find her still lying on her futon with her back to him. She’s curled in on herself in a near fetal position, and Sokka’s heart aches at the sight of her. He slowly approaches her and kneels down behind her. “Hey, it’s time to get going,” he gently says, placing a hand on her shoulder. Katara twitches and curls further in on herself.

“Katara, talk to me,” he pleads, shaking her shoulder. “You’re always helping everyone else. Let us help you for a change.”

Katara unfurls herself a little and lifts a hand to place it over his. Progress? “I’m sorry.”

Sokka blinks. “For what?”

At last, she turns her head to look up at him. “For not believing you.” For letting you get kidnapped is unsaid, but pretty clearly implied.

Oh. Sokka sighs, taking her hand on his shoulder and enclosing it in both of his. He squeezes as he assures her, “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He pauses, considering, then adds, “I wish she’d been everything you hoped for.”

Katara’s breath hitches. Slowly, she rises from the sheets and wraps her arms around him. 

“Let’s get outta here, yeah?” She nods against his chest, and Sokka gingerly helps her to her feet. They gather her scarce belongings in silence and Katara quickly threads her hair into a braid similar to the one she used to wear. Sokka smiles. “Not to say that you have bad hair, but I missed this look on you,” he says, giving her a hug. 

She pulls away, smiling back. And then she gets a mischievous glint in her eye and says, “Not that you were particularly handsome before, but I miss your unscratched face,” she says with a laugh, reaching up to touch the cheek Hama had scratched up.

Sokka frowns, feeling like the fire smothered by Katara’s snowfall back in The Town Not Destroyed By A Meteorite. “Now that’s just rude,” he teases. She giggles, and Sokka can’t help the way his lips curl back up in a grin.

“When we get on Appa I can fix this,” she assures him.

“Well, I’d hate to make you and the ladies suffer any longer,” Sokka jokes, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Katara swats at him and he leans away, laughing.

“Okay, _Lover Boy_ , let’s go, then.” She shoves him toward the door.

With Katara smiling again, Sokka’s worry dissipates. He happily leads her outside where Aang and Toph are waiting, and they begin the trek back through the woods to Appa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think of my take on The Puppetmaster (and my boy, Ash Banana Boy XD) in a review! You guys never disappoint with your fantastic reviews. 
> 
> Heads up: I'm probably not going to post next week because I need some extra time for the next chapter, but get stoked, because that next chapter is the Day of Black Sun!!!! We did it, guys! 
> 
> Thank you ever so much, as always, for reading and reviewing! Take care 'til next time!


	15. The Day of Black Sun: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the invasion is here, but after a disastrous pre-battle speech Sokka isn't feeling so confident. He and Aang help bolster each other's confidence, and the beginning of the battle goes well. Things take a turn when Hakoda's injured, and Sokka realizes there's only one person who can step up in his place. Once again, the invasion is going as planned--and then Aang arrives with terrible news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting a little longer for this chapter, guys! I hope it's worth it. Thank you again for the AMAZING reviews on the last chapter!
> 
> Also, I apologize in advance: I was gonna make the whole invasion one chapter instead of a two-parter, but ultimately I wanted some more time to work on future chapters so I'm separating it. Also, it turned out to be a little longer than anticipated, so that's also part of the reason lol. But I promise waiting for part two will be so worth it. I'm EXCITED.

Okay, so his speech doesn’t go quite as planned. 

Okay, it doesn’t go _at all_ as planned.

Alright, it’s a  _ catastrophe _ . A barely coherent, incredibly embarrassing catastrophe.

As soon as his father has properly detailed the invasion plan and rallied the troops, Sokka absconds to the cliffs above. He looks down at the port below, seeing Water Tribe warriors donning their face paint, sharpening blades, and shining their helmets. He sees Toph putting on her armor, Katara filling her water skins, and Haru and his father going through stretches and forms. But instead of feeling invigorated or prepared like the rest, Sokka just feels ashamed.

He was supposed to be the one to inspire them to don their gear and head into battle, but he wasn’t. When the time came, he failed. He fumbled over details that he knew like the back of his hand. What happened? He rehearsed his speech and triple checked all the plans, yet his speech was still a disaster.

Sokka holds up the wolf-head helmet his father presented him with for the invasion. The blue and grey metal glistens in the sunlight, and Sokka stares at it despondently. 

“I’m not as ready as I thought I was,” he tells it, as if it’s an old friend to confide in. “This was gonna be my big moment after all the planning and--” his throat tightens. His breath hitches. Sokka lets the helmet fall to his side as he bows his head. 

Last night he felt so confident about how this invasion would go. He was going to give a succinct outline of the plan, deliver a rousing speech, and sail off feeling confident and ready to win this thing. Now, he’s not sure they’ll win at all. His failure this morning feels like an ill omen.

There’s a strange shift in the wind above, and Sokka warily looks up to see Aang sweep overhead and land quietly beside him. His head is freshly shaved, revealing his blue arrow once again. Something about him gives Sokka a twinge of hope despite how down he’s feeling, but he suppresses it as he pointedly reminds himself of his most recent failure.

Aang’s brows are knitted in concern. “We’ve been looking all over for you. The boats are ready to leave.” 

Sokka spares a glance downward at the port and sees that indeed, the shore is clear and everyone else has boarded. He has half a mind to tell Aang to leave him here and go without him. He’ll probably ruin the plan somehow just like he ruined his speech.

Really, if he can’t even explain the plan well, how is he supposed to execute it?

“Sokka?” Aang comes up beside him. 

Sokka can’t meet his eyes, he just looks down again at his helmet and sighs. “I messed up, Aang.”

“What?”

“The invasion plan was my moment of truth, and I completely flopped it. I just fell apart.” He looks back up at Aang. “How am I supposed to execute this plan if I can’t even explain it? What if--” He swallows hard and tries again. “What if we lose and it’s my fault?”

“Sokka.” Aang’s hand comes up to rest on his shoulder. “That speech wasn't your moment of truth. That was just public speaking and nobody's really good at that,” he says with a little laugh.

He frowns. “My dad is. He explained the plan perfectly and inspired everyone...like a  _ real  _ leader should.” He steps away from Aang, causing the airbender’s hand to fall from his shoulder. “It’s pretty clear I’m nothing like him. I’m--”

“No, you’re not,” Aang firmly answers, grabbing Sokka by the elbow and turning him to face him. “You’re nothing like him and no one expects  _ or _ wants that from you. You’re an amazing leader in your own right, Sokka. One bad speech --or, hey, even a thousand bad ones-- doesn’t make you a bad leader.”

Sokka laughs derisively. “Doesn’t make me a  _ good _ one.”

“Okay, so the speech went badly, but guess what? We’re  _ all _ on those boats because we believe in the plan that  _ you _ made. We believe in  _ you _ , Sokka.”

This gets him to look up at Aang, eyes wide. “You really do, don’t you?” His eyes move back to the fleet below. His heart swells with love for his friends and his family and everyone who came to help them today, but...he’s also afraid. Terrified, really. He’s always wanted to be a leader like his dad, but he forgot about what it really means to have the fate of others in your hands. Win or lose, live or die, it all comes down to him. Sokka has faith in his plan and his inventions, but when he thinks of all the lives that rest on that faith, it rattles him and shakes that faith.

Aang nods, with a teary-eyed smile. “We do. We can’t do this without you, Sokka.”

Sokka’s about to object, but clearly the nomad’s learned a wise thing or two because he interrupts before he can. “Look, your moment of truth isn’t going to be in front of some map, it’s going to be out there,” he says, gesturing to the ocean before them, “on the battlefield.”

He begrudgingly nods, conceding the Avatar has a point here.

“Monk Gyatso used to say that actions speak louder than words. A true leader isn’t defined by what they say, but by what they do. You’re going to prove your worth not by some speech, but by fighting out there and winning this war.”

Sokka feels his confidence beginning to return, but there’s still something niggling at the back of his mind. “You seem  _ so _ confident about everything,” he says, looking at the twelve-year-old like he’s as old and wise as his mentor Gyatso. “How do you know we’re going to win?”

Aang averts his gaze to the ocean with a frown. “Because I already failed the world once at Ba Sing Se. I won’t let myself fail again.”

It’s at this moment that Sokka realizes Aang is going through the same crisis he is. Well, almost the same. Suddenly he feels like a bit of an asshole. He puts a hand over his eyes as he mentally smacks himself. “I’m sorry, Aang. Here you are comforting me when you’re just as nervous as I am.”

“It’s okay, Sokka. Helping you gave me strength, too.” He smiles at him, and Sokka smiles back. He feels like himself again.

“So now that we both have our strength back, how ‘bout we go kick the Fire Lord’s ass?”

Aang’s smile widens. “Let’s do it.”

* * *

_ So far, so good, _ Sokka thinks even as a group of Fire Nation soldiers atop a herd of komodo rhinos comes barreling toward them. The soldiers fire a series of firelit projectiles at him and the team he’s spearheading, but they miss. Sokka’s group surges forward and as one rider breaks from the pack and charges after him, Sokka knows he can handle this with ease. He feels nothing but adrenaline as he jumps up on the horn of the rhino and sweeps upward with his sword. It cleaves his opponent’s spear neatly in half, and Sokka deposes the startled and disarmed soldier to take control of the rhino himself. 

“Dad, look out!” He calls as he sees a man come up from behind, but his father’s reflexes are quick and he spins around to face off his attacker. For a moment, it looks like his father’s going to be overtaken when his shield gets knocked out of his hands, but then he has two spears in his hands and his opponent has none. Using both spears, Hakoda knocks away three more soldiers before Sokka can catch up with him and pull him up onto the komodo rhino he’s commandeered. 

Sokka takes a moment to assess the battle along with his father. He watches with dismay as the mechanic’s truck is destroyed, although thankfully the mechanic himself is unharmed if not a little sooty. Hue’s seaweed swamp monster loses an arm and it’s not growing back (limited resources, after all). One of the caterpillar tanks is knocked aside and damaged, causing the soldiers around it to break formation and retreat. His gaze moves upward, where he sees precisely what the problem is here. His dad sees it, too.

“Sokka, we’ve gotta take out those battlements. They’ll make quick work of our forces if we don’t.”

Nodding in agreement, Sokka once again eyes the battlements above and is inspired. “I’ve got an idea.”

He scours the battlefield for Katara and finds her easily. She’s kinda hard to miss with the way she’s whipping water about, twirling around, and eliminating opponents left and right. If he wasn’t her brother, he’d be scared of her. Actually, he’s her brother and he’s still scared of her. She’s a true force to be reckoned with.

As she sends the last two soldiers she’s fighting into a far off wall, he finds his opening. He explains he’s got a job for her and they’ll need Appa for it, too. 

The three of them take Appa up to their targets. They sail past the first battlement and Sokka, hanging off of one of Appa’s horns, cuts away the firing mechanism from it. His dad lobs two grenades into the next battlement, and a couple of soldiers keeping guard inside make it out seconds before it’s reduced to rubble. Katara takes out a third with a sweeping flood of water, freezing the soldier inside.

There’s two left. Katara has Appa land between them.

Hakoda turns to them and directs them to take the one on the left while he takes the one on the right. “Watch each other’s backs,” he tells them, and then heads off for the tower he’s claimed for himself.

With Katara’s waterbending, they make quick work of the guards inside the tower. Sokka dismantles the tower from within with his sword. They exit, the building imploding behind them, just in time to see their father enter the other tower with a club in hand.

Sokka doesn’t start to panic until he hears swords clanging and then a loud groan that sounds suspiciously like it belongs to his father. An explosion erupts somewhere within, and Sokka’s heart stops.

Both he and Katara call out to him, but get no response even as they sprint toward the smoking building. Just as he’s about to go charging in after him, his father opens the door and comes stumbling outside, clutching his side. He makes it three steps before he collapses.

Katara quickly begins to assess the damage as Sokka takes his father’s hand and squeezes it.  _ Don’t you  _ **_fucking_ ** _ dare,  _ he thinks as he watches her work. _ They need you.  _ **_We_ ** _ need you. _

When she declares he’s safe to move, Sokka hastily helps her load him onto Appa and fly him back behind their lines to a fortified position. Sokka unloads his father on the ground behind a wall Toph erects for them, and Katara pulls water from one of her pouches and begins healing him.

Sokka’s confidence is crumbling as he watches the scene unfold. His father is out for the count, leaving them without a leader for the invasion. How are they supposed to keep going? His plan is going to fail.

“How does that feel, Dad?” Katara asks.

Hakoda grunts. “A...a little better…” He weakly manages to sit up despite Katara trying to keep him down. He gazes out at everyone fighting around them. “I need to...to get back...to the troops…” he grinds out. He buckles a second later, falling backward into Katara’s arms and moaning in agony.

Katara shakes her head. “You’re hurt. Badly. You can’t fight anymore.”

Sokka recognizes the look in his father’s eyes as she relays this news to him. He’s not devastated, he’s ashamed. He feels like he’s let everyone down and is leaving them leaderless. Sokka knows that feeling.

Wincing, Hakoda looks almost pleadingly at Katara. “Everyone’s counting on me to lead this mission, Katara. I won’t let them down. I  _ can’t _ .” Sokka wants to join Katara in chastising him for trying to get up again, but he knows he’d do the exact same thing if their roles were reversed. 

“Stop it before you make things worse,” Katara scolds, glowing hands still moving across his abdomen.

“Can’t you heal him any faster?” Sokka asks, voice wavering. He’s panicking, seeing his dad is clearly in no shape to fight but knowing they all need him --he needs him-- and there’s no one else that could take his spot.

“I’m doing everything I can,” Katara says with a twinge of annoyance but not without compassion because she gets it. She’s just as worried as he is, but at least she’s doing  _ something _ . Sokka feels like a moron just sitting here silently freaking out.

“Someone needs to take command,” he says, eyes roaming across the battlefield. He sees Bato and thinks  _ maybe _ …

No. This was his plan. His crazy, stupid plan. Bato’s a great and experienced warrior, but he doesn’t know the plan like Sokka does. 

He thinks of Aang’s words earlier:  _ “Your moment of truth isn’t in front of some map, it’s out there on the battlefield.” _

It’s clear what he has to do. Who has to take command.

“I’ll do it.”

Katara misinterprets, and in different circumstances Sokka would laugh. “No offense, Sokka, but you’re not exactly ‘ _ Mr. Healing Hands _ .’” Maybe he’ll tease her and laugh about it later. Right now, though, he’s dead serious.

“No, that’s not what I mean.” He stands up, hoping he looks a lot more confident than he feels. Somewhere in his mind, he knows he can do this. He tries to urge that part of him forward into the light. “I’ll lead the invasion force.”

Katara seems doubtful. To be honest, he’s more than a little doubtful, too.“Sokka, you know I believe in you and you’ve done an incredible job planning for this, but you’ve never done something like this before. Leading an invasion force is--”

“Crazy?” Sokka supplies.

She winces, like it’s a bit too harsh a word for what she’s trying to say. “I didn’t mean it like that--”

He shakes his head. It’s okay. “Maybe I  _ am _ a little crazy--” he pauses, amending his statement when he sees the look on her face that says she’s still not sure this is a great idea. “--or a lot.” He shrugs. They can debate it later. “But the eclipse is about to start and we need to be up that volcano by the time it does,” he says, gesturing to said volcano ahead of them. “I know this plan better than anyone. I think I’m the best one for the job.”

Katara nods, looking nervous, but he realizes it’s not about his ability to lead but about his safety. Being the leader of a risky invasion of the Fire Nation capital is dangerous. He’ll be a target for everyone and if they lose, well...best not to dwell on that.

From where he lies on the ground, still clutching his side and looking far too pale, his dad gives him a pained smile. “You can do this.” He reaches up, grabs Sokka’s hand, and squeezes. “I’m proud of you, son.”

Sokka blinks away the moisture in his eyes, knowing he’s got an invasion to lead and now isn’t the time for the ‘mushy feelings stuff’ as Toph would say. But he wishes he could tell his father how much those words mean to him. He also wishes he could tell him about his firebending. He hopes he gets a chance to later.

Katara takes his other hand and squeezes. “You’re  _ definitely _ crazy, but that’s what we love about you. And I’m proud of you, too.”

Dammit, if only he could tell the both of them now…

Not trusting his voice at the moment, Sokka merely nods and smiles back. He hopes they can see just how much it means to him. With that, he dons his helmet and climbs onto Appa.

Sokka takes Appa to the frontlines where caterpillar tanks continue their trek toward the volcano. Fireballs and other projectiles continue to barrage the fleet of tanks and the advancing invasion force. They land beside a Fire Nation tank which the sky bison promptly headbutts and knocks over.  _ Respect, Appa. _

_ Badass entrance? Check. _

Sokka looks out at the force that has halted at his arrival. Raising his voice, he orders the tanks into a V-formation with benders and soldiers in the middle. “We’re taking that tower,” he says, pointing to the target, “and heading for the royal palace!”

He moves Appa to the point of the formation, taking lead, and draws his sword. “ **_Charge!_ ** ”

As they flood the capital, Bato turns to him. “We’re on our way to victory, Sokka!” 

Looking up at the volcano, Sokka grins. Now for phase two. He dismounts Appa and motions for Bato and a middle-aged Earth Kingdom general who is leading the earthbending forces to join him as he pulls a map out and spreads it out on the ground behind the cover of a tank. He’s in the midst of going over their plan for the ascension up the volcano when a large fireball crashes into the tank. Toph manages to stabilize the vehicle, but the explosion is deafening. Sokka winces, and when he looks up he sees Katara with their father.

“Dad, you’re on your feet again!” He runs over to join them. Toph follows.

“Thanks to your sister,” Hakoda says, proudly eyeing Katara. He gives her shoulder a little squeeze. “I’m in no shape to fight, but maybe there’s some way I can help.”

Sokka can’t help but feel a tiny bit cocky. He knows the battle is still a long ways from over, but things are going well right now. He’s pleased to be able to share some good news with his dad. “Well, right now everything’s going smoothly and the eclipse hasn’t even kicked in yet.”

His father’s lips curl into a soft smile. “Let’s hope our luck holds out...” he trails off, looking at Katara. Sokka’s attention goes to her now, too, to see her looking confusedly into the distance. “Katara, you seem distracted. Is something wrong?”

She doesn’t answer immediately. She takes a few steps forward, cupping a hand around her eyes to get a better view. “Yeah, there is. Is that...Is that  _ Aang _ ?”

Everyone minus Toph looks up to see Aang gliding toward them as he weaves between fireballs. 

“He’s got bad news, doesn’t he?” Sokka fearfully says to no one in particular. When Aang lands in front of them a moment later, Sokka desperately hopes he’s wrong. “Please tell me you’re here because the Fire Lord turned out to be a big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down?”

Aang shakes his head. Damn universe. Why does it have to choose now to be the  _ one time _ it  _ doesn’t _ prove him wrong? “He wasn’t home. No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned.”

Sokka’s blood runs cold as the truth hits him like a boulder to the gut. “They knew.”

Aang pales. “It’s over. The Fire Lord is probably long gone; far away on some remote island where he'll be safe during the eclipse. We failed.”

“No,” Sokka says resolutely. “No, my instincts tell me he wouldn’t go too far. He would have a secret bunker. Somewhere safe for him to go during a siege but still close enough to lead his nation. He’s still here.”

Toph grins, jabbing a thumb toward herself. “If it’s a secret underground bunker we’re looking for, I’m just the girl to find it.”

Sokka pulls out a small device the mechanist gave him to track the eclipse. The gears softly click as the dial inches toward the eclipse. “It looks like we've got about 10 minutes until the full eclipse. 10 minutes to find the Fire Lord.”

Aang looks hopeful again. Or perhaps just desperate. “We can still do this. We can still win the day.”

Katara puts her hands up to stop him. “Wait. If they knew we were coming, it could all be a trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure all of us get out of here safely.” 

She makes a good point. Sokka’s still debating this, weighing the risks and rewards of each option, when his father speaks up. “Everyone who's here today came prepared to risk everything for this mission. They know what's at stake. If there's still a chance and there's still hope, I think they would want Aang to go for it.”

Personally, Sokka thinks he wants to risk it. His father’s right. If there’s still a chance, they have to take it. They owe it to the people fighting with them today and, more importantly, they owe it to the world. But he’s not the one who’s got to face the despotic Fire Lord. He turns to Aang. “What do you think? You're the one who has to face the Fire Lord.” Thinking Aang might need an added boost of confidence and thinking back to their conversation on the cliffs this morning, Sokka adds: “Whatever you decide, I'm with you and I believe in you.”

Aang looks like he’s already made up his mind, but he hesitates for a moment before finally nodding. “If there’s still a chance to end this war today, then I owe it to the world to try.” He locks eyes with Katara. “I  _ have _ to try.”

The pain in Katara’s eyes is clear. She hates taking these risks with the people she loves and she hates that Aang is just a kid who bears the weight of the world on his shoulders. She probably also thinks Aang isn’t ready for this yet. Despite all of that, though, she understands. Sokka can see it in her eyes. Wide-eyed with concern for her friends and family, Katara takes a moment to meet each of their eyes with a meaningful look that expresses so much so perfectly without her ever uttering a word. 

Toph crosses her arms over her chest. “What did I tell you guys about non-verbal communication?” she asks in annoyance. 

Katara blushes and chuckles. “Sorry, Toph.” She pulls her into a quick hug that for once the earthbender doesn’t protest before addressing them all once more “Just come back, okay?”

In an attempt to lighten the mood and ease her worry, Toph punches her in the arm, smirking. “Don’t worry, Sugar Queen, I’ll make sure these two dunderheads come back in one piece.”

Katara’s smile is pained and watery-eyed, but it’s a smile. Toph’s mission is a success. “Thanks, Toph.” She gets up from beside her father and gives them each a fierce hug. “Good luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please let me know what you think about this chapter/what you liked or didn't like, and thank you SO very much for your support so far!
> 
> Personally, I enjoyed writing the extended conversations with Sokka and Aang and Sokka and Katara (and Hakoda). I felt like those were big moments that, given the time constraint of the show (20-30 min episodes) they didn't get the chance to explore further. But lucky for us, we don't have time constraints!
> 
> Next week I'll have the second half of the invasion for you guys and then hopefully the week after that I'll have my shit together and I can post The Western Air Temple which I'm simultaneously SO excited for and SO nervous about (cause I want it to be good).


	16. The Day of Black Sun: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka, Toph, and Aang seek out the Fire Lord's bunker and, as we all know, come to realize the Fire Nation has known about the impending invasion. Sokka picks up on Azula's game quicker than the rest, but falls for the bait when she mentions Suki. As the eclipse ends, some secrets are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE. WE. GOOOOOOO. I hope this chapter is everything you guys hoped for! It was fun but also tricky to write. And very emotional. God, the END OF THIS EPISODE. I'm pretty sure I made it worse (as in more heart breaking) and I'm not sorry. 
> 
> Please enjoy!
> 
> Thank you as always for the amazing, AMAZING reviews!!!

> “If there’s still a chance to end this war today, then I owe it to the world to try.” He locks eyes with Katara. “I  _ have _ to try.”
> 
> The pain in Katara’s eyes is clear. She hates taking these risks with the people she loves and she hates that Aang is just a kid who bears the weight of the world on his shoulders. She probably also thinks Aang isn’t ready for this yet. Despite all of that, though, she understands. Sokka can see it in her eyes. Wide-eyed with concern for her friends and family, Katara takes a moment to meet each of their eyes with a meaningful look that expresses so much so perfectly without her ever uttering a word. 
> 
> Toph crosses her arms over her chest. “What did I tell you guys about non-verbal communication?” she asks in annoyance. 
> 
> Katara blushes and chuckles. “Sorry, Toph.” She pulls her into a quick hug that for once the earthbender doesn’t protest before addressing them all once more “Just come back, okay?”
> 
> In an attempt to lighten the mood and ease her worry, Toph punches her in the arm, smirking. “Don’t worry, Sugar Queen, I’ll make sure these two dunderheads come back in one piece.”
> 
> Katara’s smile is pained and watery-eyed, but it’s a smile. Toph’s mission is a success. “Thanks, Toph.” She gets up from beside her father and gives them each a fierce hug. “Good luck.”

* * *

Appa lands them at the peak of the volcano overlooking the Fire Nation capital. Toph jumps off, crouching down to put a hand on the earth and scope out the location of the Fire Lord’s potential bunker. Aang and Sokka follow, waiting anxiously for her to report her findings.

“Do you feel anything down there?” Aang asks hopefully.

“Oh, yeah. There are natural tunnels criss-crossing through the inside of the volcano.”

Sokka frowns. That doesn’t tell them quite what they need to hear. “Anything else? Is there a structure somewhere?”

Toph reaches deeper, nails digging into the rock and soil. “There’s something big, dense, and made of metal deep in the heart of the volcano.”

A grin splits across his face. “Sounds like a secret bunker to me.”

Taking it as a signal to go ahead and make an entrypoint for them, Toph rips a hole into the side of the volcano and dives in. Sokka and Aang follow.

The path immediately splits, and Sokka has no clue whether to go left or right. Thankfully, they have a Toph. 

“This way! The other way’s a dead end,” Toph explains, darting off to the right.

Sokka shakes his head and smiles. “What would we  _ ever _ do without you?”

“Perish and burn in hot magma,” Toph replies without missing a beat. She says it just as Sokka narrowly avoids stumbling into a trickling stream of bright, hot, scorching magma that would make Zuko’s puckered scar look like the soft skin of a newborn babe compared to the scar it would leave on his face.  _ No thanks. _

“Yeah, pretty much,” Sokka hopelessly agrees, wincing at the painful fate he’s narrowly escaped.

But of course, that’s not the worst of it. They are, after all, in a volcano. Still, Sokka wishes the universe would just grant him a damn favor for  _ once _ in his life. They stop in their tracks down the corridor when they come across a cavern full of lava vents.

“Shit.”

“The tunnel continues on the other side and leads right to the bunker,” Toph informs them, which means they’ve got no choice but to go through the most undesirable and dangerous round of whack - a - weasel-mole Sokka’s ever played. And  _ they’re _ the weasel-moles.

“We’ll have to be fast but careful,” he says.  _ Suck it up and just go for it, Sokka. _ He takes a deep breath and makes a run for it, but gets all of five steps before one of the vents erupts right in front of him. He screams and flails his arms as he wheels himself backward away from it. Aang sweeps his staff through the air, blowing a gust of wind at the lava to cool it.

Sokka checks his eyebrows to make sure they haven’t been singed off.  _ Whew. Okay. Still got both eyebrows to wiggle at the ladies. Well, at Suki, really. _

“How was  _ that _ careful?” the Avatar deadpans in an impressive show of sarcastic might. Perhaps Sokka taught him too well.

But he knows when to admit he’s wrong and in this instance he was, most assuredly, wrong. Sokka throws his arms up in defeat. “I was wrong. We need to be fast, careful, and most especially:  _ lucky _ .”

Queue what is, up until this point, the most terrifying 30 seconds of his life as he sprints across a field of randomly erupting geysers of toxic, super-heated gas and lava. They reach the end and continue sprinting down the passageway. Sokka’s got a bad feeling as the temperature skyrockets and a fresh sheen of sweat trickles down his face and neck. There’s a sinister red glow that grows stronger as they approach.

They stop in their tracks once more as they come to an abrupt end to the passage. They’re at the edge of a cliff now overlooking a canyon of bubbling lava.

_ Are you  _ shitting _ me right now? _ Sokka looks up to the sky, feeling betrayed.

“What do we do?” he asks, looking at Toph and Aang. 

Aang twirls his staff and stamps it on the ground, making the handles and wings of his glider pop out. “Climb aboard and hold on tight.”

Sokka moans in fear as he grabs ahold of one wing.

“I may throw up on you,” Toph tells him as she anxiously takes hold of the other wing. Her knuckles are white.

“Funny, I was gonna say the same to you.”

“Ready?” Aang asks.

“No,” he and Toph chorus.

The airbender takes off anyway.

Queue what is, up until this point, the most terrifying  _ minute _ of his life as Aang soars over the river of lava, dodging bubbles of lava that pop and sizzle up into the air. He and Toph are screaming the entire way.

When they land, Sokka has never been more happy to feel his feet touch the ground again. They resume their frantic dash through the volcano’s corridors and come up to a giant metal dome with a large, impressive door guarding the entrance.

He balks at it, but Toph merely steps forward and knocks on it to test its depth or whatever it is that metalbenders --aka just her-- do. “Not a problem,” she declares, tossing a cocky grin back at them over her shoulder. With a few blows from the elbows and a well-aimed jab with her fingers, Toph pries open a hole for them to enter into the bunker through.

Sokka is gushing with praise. He could write and sing a goddamn ballad in her name. “I am  _ so _ glad we added you to the group!”

They continue through the strangely empty bunker until they hear whistling. Someone’s approaching from the other end of the tunnel. When he stops in alarm upon seeing them, they dip into their fighting stances and prepare to face off. Instead of fighting, the man immediately throws up his hands in surrender and tells them exactly where the Fire Lord’s chambers are. 

“Wonderful,” he says, leering at the guy just to make him jump. The old man yelps and takes a step back. Sokka suppresses a giggle.

“Thanks!” Aang says cheerfully. 

Toph pins him to the wall, his wrists encased in solid rock. “I hope you don’t need to pee any time soon.”

They run off.

Sokka pulls out the mechanist’s eclipse dial and feels a surge of panic. “Only 30 seconds left until the total eclipse!” 

As soon as the words leave his mouth, they come upon an enormous set of golden doors with the Fire Nation emblem stamped across them. This has to be it.  _ Now that’s more like it, Universe! _

Aang takes a deep breath, readying himself. Sokka can’t imagine what he must be feeling right now. “I’m ready. I’m ready to face the Fire Lord.”

He takes a step back, gesturing for them to do the same, and then swings his staff at the doors. He blows them right off the hinges and they hurry inside, but the person that awaits them isn’t the Fire Lord.

“So you’re alive after all,” a chill voice calls out from the throne at the end of the hall.

Sokka’s jaw drops. His heart sinks.  _ Katara was right. _

Azula continues despite the shock written across all their faces. She’s probably revelling in it, Sokka realizes, which gets him to wipe the stupid look off his face in an instant. “I had a hunch that you survived.” Rather than angry or surprised, she just sounds amused. “No matter,” she drawls. “I’ve known about the invasion for months.”

Aang steps forward, pointing his staff at her. “Where is he? Where’s the Fire Lord?”

Azula gets up from the throne and takes a step down toward them. She feigns a hurt look, pouting. “What, you mean  _ I’m _ not good enough for you? You’re hurting my feelings.”

Sokka rolls his eyes and brandishes his sword. “Stop wasting our time and tell us where he is. You're powerless right now so you're in no position to refuse.”

Toph steps forward. “And stick to the truth. I’ll be able to tell if you’re lying.”

Azula takes another casual step forward and crosses her arms. “Are you sure?” she asks, cocking her head to the side. “I’m a pretty good liar.” She takes another step forward, letting her arms fall to her side, and stares right at Toph. She’s completely calm,cool, and collected. It puts him on edge, making him wonder what she must have up her sleeve. Sure, she could just be playing cool because she’s a psycho, but it’s more likely she’s got something planned. “I am a 400 foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings.”

Sokka looks over at Toph expectantly. Toph balks. He hears her swear under her breath before she begrudgingly admits, “Okay, fine. You’re good.” She bends the earth up around Azula, encasing her in a cone-like rock prison up to her neck. “But you  _ really _ oughta consider telling the truth anyway before I have to squeeze it out of you.”

Azula merely smirks at her. “Why should I? We’ve only  _ just _ started having fun.” The rock around her crumbles to dust, freeing her. The princess brushes herself off and takes another step forward. Sokka and the others are staring in shock as she explains, “When I left Ba Sing Se, I brought home some souvenirs.” Right on queue, two figures drop down from the ceiling and land beside her.

He recognizes the rattle of the chains; the emerald green outfits; the wide-brimmed helmets that obscure their faces and make them eerily anonymous…

_ Fuck. _

“Dai Li agents.”

Sokka grits his teeth, no longer shocked, but angry. She’s known not only about the invasion, but about the eclipse, too. The Fire Lord was moved to somewhere where Aang couldn’t get to him while he was without his firebending and Azula had a plan for not having her bending, as well. They’ve lost every ounce of surprise they thought they had. He feels like a complete idiot. 

Aang swings his staff, blowing an arc of wind toward the Dai Li agents, but they throw up a stone wall that blocks the attack and cuts the gang off from Azula.

Not like it matters, as Aang and Toph blast it away into rubble a moment later. The three of them charge forward, only for the Dai Li to throw up another earthen wall that halts Sokka in his tracks. Aang dodges it, leaping into the air and onto one of the metal support beams, then disappears behind the other side of the rock wall. Toph catapults herself up into the air and through the wall, punching a hole through it.

Sokka narrows his eyes and glares at the hole. “That’s okay, guys. I’ll just somehow find my way up the 12-foot high wall and climb through the hole myself. No need for assistance!” He begins to make his climb, frowning as he hears the sound of battle on the other side and desperately wanting to make it through the wall already to help them. 

Of course, just as he does climb to the top, Azula unexpectedly comes flying toward it. Sokka ducks, lying flat as she sails over and past him. His eyes grow wide as she locks eyes with him, smirking. As soon as she’s through, Sokka hops down and gives chase. The others appear behind him a second later.

Toph and Aang overtake him and incapacitate the Dai Li agents. Sokka runs after them, trying hard to keep up while also trying to strategize.

Azula was here to be a distraction. She brought the Dai Li to help her because she knew she wouldn’t be able to preoccupy them long enough on her own without her bending. She’s never one to run from a fight, but here she is doing nothing  _ but _ running. Why? Because this is how she’s going to keep them distracted instead of going after their real target.

Spirits, they’re stupid!

“Aang, Toph, wait!” he calls after them, and they both come to a halt along with Azula who is further down the corridor ahead of them. “Stop attacking! Don’t you see what she’s doing? She’s just wasting our time so we lose our chance at taking out the Fire Lord! She’s not even trying to win this fight!”

“Not true,” Azula sarcastically replies, hands on her hips. “I’m giving it my  _ all _ .”

“You’re just the decoy!” Toph grits, probably wanting to kick herself for not realizing all this sooner.

The princess’s lips curl into a smug grin. “Uh, yeah. I think your friend here already established that. But glad you’ve finally caught up with us,  _ genius _ ,” she says, rolling her eyes. “And since you can’t see, I should tell you that I’m  _ rolling _ my  _ eyes _ .”

“I’ll roll your whole  _ head _ !” Toph growls. “Right off your shoulders!”

Sokka sticks his arm out in front of her to hold her back. “She’s just baiting you again. Don’t listen to her.”

Aang’s uncertain gaze falls on him, “So what do we do, then? Just ignore her?”

“Yes. We’ve gotta get out of here and find the Fire Lord on our own somehow. She’s clearly not going to tell us anything.”

Aang and Toph nod, and the three of them begin walking back down the other end of the tunnel.

“It’s a trap! Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Azula sings from behind them. 

Aang and Toph stop and look back. Sokka keeps walking, waving a hand high in a dismissive gesture. “ _ Ignoooooore _ !” he sings back, prompting Aang and Toph to resume walking.

It seems Azula still isn’t done yet, though. “So,” she calls, “Sokka’s your name, right?” 

“Not listening!” Sokka shouts back. 

“My favorite prisoner used to mention you  _ all _ the time,” she continues, and this makes Sokka halt. She has to be talking about Suki. He’s been worried sick about her for weeks but helpless to do anything to find her. He hasn’t even had a clue where to begin looking or if he even  _ should _ be looking. A dark corner of his mind has occasionally suggested she might be dead; that Azula killed her to take on the guise of a Kyoshi warrior. 

‘Used to?’ He doesn’t like the way she’s using the past tense. Perhaps she really has, Sokka realizes in horror. 

“She had this  _ ridiculous _ notion that you were going to come rescue her. She was  _ convinced _ .” Slowly, Sokka turns around to face her. He tries to keep his breathing even and his eyes dry, but he can feel the hurt and guilt and anger bubbling up inside of him.

Azula’s eyes glint with a twisted sense of mirth. She knows she’s got him and he knows it, too. He hates it and he wants to ignore it. He wants to do what he knows he  _ should _ be doing, which is walking away, but…

“Of course, you never came and eventually she gave up on you.” Sokka squeezes his eyes shut.  _ Don’t listen to her.  _ **_Don’t_ ** _ listen to her!  _ He tells himself. “I daresay you broke her heart. I’m not the sentimental sort, but even  _ I’ve _ got to admit that that’s  _ sad _ .”

He was so focused on the invasion plan and his own stupid problems with his firebending when he should’ve been looking for her and _if she’s dead then it’s_ ** _all_** _my fault!_ Mother of Kuruk _,_ _what kind of boyfriend_ ** _is_** _he?!_

With an angry, anguished scream, Sokka rushes at her and pins her to the wall with a little help from Toph. He thinks he hears something metal clanking to the floor, but he dismisses it. All his focus is on Azula. He presses his elbow into her shoulder and growls, “Where. Is.  _ Suki _ ?”

Azula remains silent, looking far too confident and at ease given her current predicament. Sokka resists the urge to hack the smile right off her damn face. A hand lands on his shoulder. “Sokka, you said it yourself: she won’t talk.” Aang.

The airbender makes him pause for the briefest moment. Deep down he knows Aang is right, but he can’t think clearly. Azula knows something about where Suki is and how she is, there’s no doubt about it. He can’t leave here without finding out. Not when he’s already wasted so much time not even trying.

“I need to find out, Aang,” he says before turning back to Azula. “Tell me where you’re keeping her! I  _ know _ you know!”

The smirk on her face only grows wider, illustrating just how happy she is to simply bide her time. Surely the eclipse is almost over now. He knows he’s wasting their time and yet he can’t walk away. Not when he could potentially find out what happened to his girlfriend. He’s not losing her like he lost Yue.

“ **_Tell me what you did with Suki_ ** _!"_ he snarls, and then blinks when he swears he sees steam in front of him. Azula blinks in genuine surprise, too. Two things cross his mind at that moment. The first is that he’s just breathed hot air like a damn dragon, and the second is that he’s just exposed himself to Azula as a firebender.

Oh wait, there’s a third thing: the eclipse is most definitely over now.

Azula recovers quickly, her expression morphing from shock to wicked delight. “You!” she hisses, eyes wide. “You’re--! Oh, how  _ delicious _ .” she grins. “Well, then. Show me what you’ve got.”

Before he can react, or perhaps because he’s too paralyzed by the fact that he’s just given himself away to Azula, the princess uses her newly regained firebending to swing her leg and send an arc of blue fire flying toward him. He narrowly dodges it.

Sokka pulls out his sword as Azula flips upward and places her feet on the wall. She pushes against the wall and then, with a blast of fire, frees herself from Toph’s restraints. She uses the momentum to propel herself through the air and land in front of him, immediately firing off a barrage of attacks at him. She’s trying to get him to firebend in return, but he’s not giving her the satisfaction. Not like he really knows how to do it, anyway. Between blocking and dodging her attacks, Sokka swings his sword in an attempt to land a blow. To his annoyance, she avoids every hit. With the close-range fight going between them, Aang and Toph find it difficult to intercede. If they try to attack, they run just as much of a risk hitting Sokka as they do of hitting Azula.

“How disappointing,” the princess drawls, no doubt referring to his lack of firebending skills. “You’ve gotta have  _ something _ to show me,” she adds, kicking a large fireball at him.

“Look out!” Toph shouts, diving toward him and pushing him out of the way. Once again, Toph saves his stupid ass for--what is it? The fourth time today?--and quickly gets back up to face Azula. Sokka picks himself up and the four of them wind up at a standstill. He, Toph, and Aang wait for her to make a move, but Azula raises her hands in an unexpected surrender.

“No need,” she calmly tells them. “Dad’s all the way at the end of the hall and down the secret stairway on the left. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to see you now.” She locks eyes briefly with Sokka, grinning wickedly. “See you later, Sokka.” With that, she sprints down the tunnel and disappears.

As soon as she’s gone, Sokka cries out in frustration and buries his head in his hands. “I fell for it! I used up  _ all _ our time!” He looks back up at Toph and Aang. “I’m sorry. It’s too late now. I messed up this whole invasion…”

“It’s not your fault,” Toph gently tells him, “Azula was ready for us. She had every move planned out.”

“Maybe it’s not too late,” says Aang. Sokka looks up at him in confusion. “The eclipse is over, but I can still face the Fire Lord anyway.”

“No,” Sokka answers, shaking his head. “I get that you want to end this, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“But I’m ready!” Aang argues. “I came here with a job to do and everyone’s counting on me!”

Sokka sighs. He gets that, he really does, but--

Toph sums it up nicely. “The Fire Lord knew we were coming this time. We thought we had surprise on our side, but we didn't. It just wasn't our day. What we need to do now is go help our friends.”

Sokka nods in agreement. Aang’s shoulders slump forward, the fight going out of him as he realizes they’ve lost this battle. “I guess you’re right,” he quietly admits.

“You’ll have another chance,” Sokka assures him, stepping up beside him and putting a hand on his shoulder. “I know you will.”

* * *

On Appa, Sokka sees how the battle has advanced in their absence. They’ve gained a lot of ground, making it into the capital city and closing in on the palace, but the eclipse is over now; their advantage and the element of surprise are gone. And if the rest of the Fire Nation’s forces are as prepared as Azula was, then they’re about to see a real show of force any moment now. 

Sokka looks across the battlefield and back toward the awaiting submarines on the beach. It’s a long trek back.

“Sokka, look.” Sokka turns to see what Aang’s pointing at and his stomach rolls. Rising up from behind the Fire Lord’s palace are enormous metal war balloons. The bright red flag of the Fire Nation drapes over the sides of each zeppelin, clearly (and unnecessarily) marking them as Fire Nation.

“The mechanic’s design.” Sokka remembers when they first used this very weapon against the Fire Nation. Now, somehow, they’ve stolen the idea and made their own. “This isn’t good.”

They land beside Katara, still by their father’s side, and Sokka wastes no time in catching them up on what happened during the eclipse. “It was all a trap. Azula knew we were coming and plotted out every move.” He jumps down from the saddle. “We have to get back to the beach as fast as we can. If we make it back to the submarines, maybe we can get away safely.”

“Do we have enough time for that?” Katara asks, looking up at the war balloons looming above.

Aang stamps his staff, the wings of his glider popping out. “They may have air power, but so do I! I’m going to do what I can to slow them down.” He throws the glider out ahead of him, jumps on, and takes off into the sky. 

Appa growls as if complaining about being left behind, and Katara steps forward to stroke behind his ear. “Appa, you and I can help, too.” She climbs on and flies after Aang.

Sokka turns to the invasion force. “Everyone get back to the subs!”

They’re coming down the slope of the volcano back towards the outer gates of the palace city when Aang and Katara return. 

“We tried, but there’s too many of them. We hardly made a dent,” Katara says, frowning. 

“You did your best,” Sokka assures her. He turns his attention to the balloons above which are almost directly above them now. Sokka panics as he sees the bomb bay doors open. “Everyone try and find cover! We’re about to see some bombs!”

He and the others nearby huddle around Appa as Toph earthbends a thick slab roof over them for protection. Sokka sees similar structures go up as other earthbenders do the same for the rest of the invasion force. A moment later, as Sokka predicted, bombs drop on the slope and rattle the ground. Toph’s slab roof cracks and crumbles, but she reinforces it with two pillars.

Just as quickly as the bombing begins, it ends. Sokka looks ahead in confusion when the airships pass over them and continue heading straight.

“Why aren’t they turning around to attack us again?” asks Katara, voicing the question Sokka himself is pondering.

“They’re headed toward the beach…” Aang says, and that’s when it hits him.

“They’re going to destroy the submarines!” Sokka cries. Panicking and unsure of what to do next, he turns to his father and Bato. “How are we all going to escape?”

His father says the words he’s dreading. “We’re not.”

Even with their means of escape gone, Sokka isn’t ready to give up. Everyone came here willing to risk it all, and so is he. If escape isn’t an option... “Then our only choice is to stand and fight,” he says, clenching his fist and pounding it into his palm. “We have the Avatar. We could still win!” he says, trying to reassure himself just as much as he is everyone else, but he knows they’ve lost. Even with Aang, they definitely  _ can’t _ win this. They’re outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, and outplanned. It’s over. The best they can do now is go down like warriors by fighting to the last breath.

His father nods. “Yes, with the Avatar we could still win…” Sokka frowns, sensing he isn’t finished yet. “On another day.” 

No. No, no, no. Sokka knows where he’s going with this and he doesn’t like it. He hates it. He wants to scream at him as his insides twist and his blood thickens into ice. “No,” he quietly pleads, as if it’ll stop his father from saying what he does next.

“You kids have to leave. You have to escape on Appa together.”

“No!” Sokka more loudly protests, shaking his head. “No, absolutely not!” He’s a grown man this time and he can make his own choices. Wherever his father goes, he can go too, now.

Katara is equally opposed. “We can’t leave you behind!” She looks around at the rest of the invasion force. “We won’t leave  _ anyone _ behind!” He knows she’s thinking the same thing he is:  _ not again _ .

Hakoda merely shakes his head, clearly as upset as they are about this but adamant about his decision. Deep down, past all the raw emotion, Sokka knows he’s right, too. “You're our only chance in the long run. You and Sokka have to go with Aang somewhere safe. It's the only way to keep hope alive.”

“Dad, we can’t lose you. Not again!” Katara insists.

“I’m so sorry, Katara, but this is the only choice we have. Aang can’t be captured, and he needs you both.”

Sokka hates how right he is. He hates all of this. He hates himself for botching this whole plan. 

Bato steps forward, looking around at all the young faces in their group. “The youngest of our group should go with you. The adults will stay behind and surrender. We'll be prisoners, but we'll all survive this battle.”

Haru’s father comes over. “I've got some experience with Fire Nation prisons. It's not going to be easy, but we'll get by.” Sokka stomach churns at the idea of any of them in a Fire Nation prison. For a moment, his thoughts flit back to Hama and what she told them about the prison where she was kept. They’d killed every one of the other waterbenders. She and her fellow waterbenders hadn’t even mounted an attack on the Fire Nation capital.

“There’s gotta be another way--” Sokka hopelessly pleads. 

“You know there isn’t, Sokka,” his father sadly replies, hand on his shoulder. He’s right, he does know it.

“They’re at the beach,” says Aang, fear in his eyes.

Sokka can hardly bear to watch as the bomb bay doors of the zeppelins open when he knows what’s coming next, but he does. A slew of bombs drop onto the beach and when the smoke clears, the submarines are destroyed. Sokka closes his eyes and hangs his head. There really is no other choice now.

“Let’s get you out of here while we still can,” Hakoda says, patting him on the back softly.

Head hung low, Sokka silently allows his father to guide him over to Appa. Haru and his father, The Duke and Pipsqueak, and Teo and his father gather around the sky bison, as well. All of them are swapping goodbyes. Sokka grinds his teeth together and swallows hard. His eyes sting.

This wasn’t how this was meant to go, and Sokka can’t help but feel it’s his fault. He planned this invasion. He asked everyone to come here. He’s the reason they’ll be locked away in prison and separated from their loved ones.

Toph brings Teo and his father up on a platform of rock to the saddle’s height. The mechanist gives his son a final hug goodbye as he lays Teo down in the saddle. Teo tells his dad he’s proud of him, and as the mechanist wipes away his tears, Toph lowers the platform back down. 

The Duke struggles to climb up Appa, one little hand grasping the horn and the other pulling at tufts of fur but repeatedly losing his grip and slipping. Pipsqueak comes over and lifts him up single-handedly. As they exchange goodbyes, Sokka abruptly realizes that Pipsqueak is one of the adults and therefore staying behind. Has The Duke ever  _ not _ had Pipsqueak around?

Haru is hugging his father tight, tears in his eyes as they say their goodbyes. Sokka thinks he can relate to them most seeing as Haru has also only recently reunited with his father. And poor Tyro having to go right back in after just getting out.  _ My fault. I brought them here,  _ Sokka reminds himself.

Then there’s the goodbye that he didn’t even know was coming. The Boulder of all people comes up to Toph and wraps his bulging arms around her, lifting her little body into the air with him. “THE BOULDER is proud to have fought beside the Blind Bandit today.”

“You can call me Toph, y’know,” she wheezes.

“He is also glad to see the Blind Ban-- _ Toph _ has found a family that respects her as much as he does. THE BOULDER has never seen anyone lift so many The Boulders-worth of boulders!”

Toph frowns from where her cheek is mashed against his chest. “So we’re still measuring in boulders, then?”

“Affirmative, my small and fierce friend.” Finally, he lets her down. Toph is relieved to be returned to solid earth and have her lungs back. “THE BOULDER will miss you fiercely. Like a great boulder misses a pebble which once belonged to it.”

Sokka raises an eyebrow.  _ He really does measure everything in boulders, doesn’t he?  _ But he’s gotta admit, it’s almost...poetic? And strangely fitting. More fitting than anything Sokka would’ve accredited The Boulder with saying.

“I thought I taught you not to be such a sap?” Toph replies, but Sokka can see her eyes glistening with unshed tears ready to fall.

“The Boulder resents this word  _ ‘sap _ .’”

“Then stop acting like one,” Toph says, but she wears a smile on her face. 

The Boulder smiles back, then pats her head affectionately like an uncle or even a father might do. “Goodbye, my small friend.”

“Do you gotta use the word small?” Toph groans. “Goodbye, Boulder. Don’t start too many fights in prison, okay?”

The Boulder lets out a raucous laugh that draws the curious eyes of several onlookers. “THE BOULDER WILL ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN PEACE AND MINIMALIZE CONFLICT, BUT HE MAKES NO GUARANTEES.”

Toph barks out a laugh, telling the others “good luck with that one” as the Boulder, with a sad smile and an honest-to-Kuruk tear in his eye, steps away and fades back into the crowd.

Now it’s his and Katara’s turn and Sokka really isn’t ready. 

Despite this crushing defeat and the fact that he’s about to surrender himself to the enemy, his father looks confident and proud. He wraps an arm around each of them. “We lost today, but we've never been  _ this _ close. We tasted victory and that counts for something,” he tells them both with a small smile.

“We’ll miss you, dad,” Katara says between sniffles.

“I’m sorry, dad,” Sokka murmurs.

Hakoda turns to him, shaking his head. “You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Sokka. What you did today and what we accomplished here is no small feat. No one else could’ve accomplished what you have today.”

“But I didn’t accomplish anything! I failed! I’m fleeing with my tail between my legs while the rest of you get captured and sent to prison!” he says, gesturing furiously at the adults circled around Appa.

“You’re escaping because Aang and the world need you out there and not trapped in prison with the rest of us. You kids are the most valuable members of our group.”

“You should be proud of what you’ve done here, Sokka, even if the outcome isn’t what we wanted,” says Bato, stepping forward from the crowd.

Hakoda nods in agreement, glancing at Bato before turning back to him and Katara. “Every time I think my love for you two has reached its peak, I learn that it can grow to even greater heights. I’ve never been more proud of you two than I am at this moment,” he says as he pulls them into a group hug.

Sokka doesn’t trust himself to speak anymore at this point, worried he’ll just become a sobbing mess, so he just hides his face in his shoulder. He tries to remember every bit of this moment, as much as it hurts, as best he can. He doesn’t know when they’ll see him again. A large ‘if’ looms in the background, but he has to believe in ‘when.’ He won’t accept anything else.

“Goodbye, dad,” Katara says, her voice muffled by the fact that her face is pressed into his chest.

Sokka lifts his head so his dad can hear him clearly from over his shoulder when he says, “Bye, dad. We won’t be apart too long this time. I promise.”

Hakoda gives a sad laugh. “I don’t doubt it for a second.”

It’s painful to pull away from him, but they have to. The Fire Nation soldiers could close in on them any moment now. He and Katara climb up onto the saddle with the others, and Sokka locks eyes with his father and Bato as Aang stands to give the group a final address.

Sokka can see the tear-tracks on his face as he turns to face the crowd. He sees Aang wipe them away none-too-discretely before he squares his shoulders and straightens up. “Thank you all for being so brave and so strong. I’m so sorry this invasion didn’t go the way we hoped, but I'm going to make it up to you. The Fire Nation won’t have you for long. Take care of each other and never lose hope.”

Aang looks long and hard across the crowd of adults, head turning slowly as he takes in every face. Sokka takes a moment to do the same. At last, Aang sits back down and snaps the reins. Appa takes off, and Sokka watches in utter despair as his father, Bato, and everyone else disappears as the distance gathers between them.

As they get lost in the clouds, Aang turns back to address the group. “I know just the place for us to go where we'll be safe for a while. The Western Air Temple.”

Toph, who is sitting beside him with her arms wrapped around his bicep as usual whenever they fly, leans in close: “As soon as we get there, we need to have a talk, Sparkles.”

Sokka shivers as she gives his arm a strong squeeze. With the use of that nickname and the tone of her voice, Sokka knows exactly what she plans to talk about. 

The secret’s out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLIFFHANGER. SORRY NOT SORRY. But next chapter is gonna be SO. MUCH. FUN. Oh my God, you guys. 
> 
> So lemme know what you thought of this chapter! From here on out, I have decided it's going to get much more AU. Kinda can't help it. But I'm really excited!
> 
> 10 points to Ravenclaw for whomever gets the Hamilton reference I made. ;D 
> 
> Also, it's now a headcanon of mine that 1. The Boulder and Toph only pretended during Earth Rumble matches to dislike each other but actually they're best buds and The Boulder kinda acts like a proud dad or uncle and respects the hell out of Toph. And 2. The Boulder measures everything in boulders. Or The Boulders. In other words, he measures everything in how much HE weighs and how much large rocks weigh. That's it, that's the system. XD


	17. The Western Air Temple: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a moment after making camp at the Western Air Temple, Toph drags Sokka off to confront him about what happened in the bunker during the invasion and Sokka comes clean. AKA: THE CHAPTER YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO nervous about this chapter, oh my God you guys. But I'm also REALLY REALLY EXCITED for you to let me know what you think. I seriously hope it lives up to the 16 chapter wait. I thought this chapter would take forever, but I wound up cranking it out wicked fast and then angsting over it as I read it over and over again and wondered if it was good enough.
> 
> Also, as you may have noticed, this chapter is part ONE of the Western Air Temple episode. The reveal obviously is super long, so I decided to break the episode up into two parts. This gives me time to work more on the back half of this episode while you guys digest this, haha.

There’s a lot that goes unspoken during the flight to the Western Air Temple. The sun sets soon after their take off and the night grows late, but no one sleeps despite how tired they are. The air seems as thick as the clouds with all the pent up feelings of defeat, loss, shame, guilt, and fear hanging about them. Everyone just wallows in it, too weary in every way to do anything more. Sokka’s fine with that. It gives him time to think about what he’s going to say to Toph.

He has a lot less time than he thought, though, as Appa abruptly descends. 

“Are we there already?” asks The Duke.

“No, Appa’s tired. He can’t keep flying,” Aang replies, sounding like a shell of his normal self. Sokka can’t say he blames him. 

Appa touches ground and the group climbs off. 

“So are we camping out here or…?” asks Haru.

Aang shakes his head. “No, the Western Air Temple is close enough to walk to.”

They begin walking some time in the early morning while the sky is still dark. They’re still walking hours later, the sun now beating down on their backs.

Sokka sighs, utterly exhausted. This makes their defeat sting even worse. 

“Are we almost there? My feet hurt,” says The Duke.

“You can sit with me if you want,” Teo offers, patting his lap.

The Duke makes a face and raises his nose in the air, his ill-fitted helmet falling askew at the motion. “I’m not sitting in your lap! I’m too old for that crap!”

Sokka and the others can’t help but chuckle at how offended the kid sounds. Honestly, if it wasn’t totally undignified, Sokka would take Teo up on the offer himself. 

Teo holds his hands up. “Sorry, Duke, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

The Duke stomps his foot. “I told you already! It’s  _ The _ Duke!” Sokka snorts.

“Sorry!”

The Duke hangs his head, his helmet slipping forward over his eyes before he frustratedly pushes it back. “I miss Pipsqueak.”

Sokka’s heart goes out to the kid. Since he knows a thing or two about teaching and motivating little kids from his time as “leader” of the troops back home, he takes it upon himself to try and cheer the kid up. “Hey, he’s real proud of you, buddy. You’ll see him again soon. But for now, you gotta keep doing him proud, okay?”

The Duke stops to look up at him, eyes wet with unshed tears. The kid’s strong, clearly trying very hard to keep himself composed. And what is he, like 6? 8? He stares at Sokka for a long moment before he finally nods. “Okay,” he murmurs, sniffling. 

Sokka gives him a proud smile. “Now that’s a warrior right there,” he says, pointing a finger at him.

The Duke’s lips curl up into a tiny, adorable smile. Then, with more confidence and a degree of smugness that can only come from the joy of saying something someone older taught you but you shouldn’t yet know, he replies, “You bet your ass I am.”

The others and Sokka all stare at him. Toph barks out a laugh, the sound echoing in the vast, empty space they’re trudging through.

Katara whips around. “Who taught you that?” she demands.

The Duke, having apparently regained his confidence, merely folds his tiny arms and smirks at her. “That’s for me to know and you to  _ never  _ find out.” Classic. And yet, Sokka can’t help but think Jet and the Freedom Fighters have created a monster.

Katara is aghast at being addressed in such a way, which makes the others join in cathartic laughter with Toph.

When the laughter settles, the dour mood quickly resettles amongst them. Once again, they all just feel exhausted and ashamed.

“I thought you said this air temple was close?” Haru gripes from ahead.

Teo rotates one shoulder around in a circle and stretches his arm. Sokka hears a pop. “My arms  _ are _ getting pretty tired.” 

“Everyone just hang in there. I’m sure we’ll be there soon,” says Katara.

“We will be,” Aang says quietly from the head of the group. He’s walking alongside Appa with Momo perched on his head. “I’m sorry we had to walk here, but Appa gets tired carrying all these people.” He reaches up and scratches Appa somewhere below the eye right where thick skin meets soft fur.

Sokka sees Toph perk up ahead of him, lifting her head. She feels something, he can tell. He’s gotten good at reading her mannerisms. “Funny you should mention it, cause we already are. We’re here, I can feel it,” Toph says, sounding relieved.

He’s relieved, too, but he’s also pretty confused since he doesn’t see anything up ahead but dirt and a cliff up ahead. A pool of mist hides whatever lurks beneath. 

“Uh, I think your feet need to have their eyes checked,” says Katara, just as confused as the rest of them about where the air temple Toph says is right there is.

“No, she’s right,” says Aang, tone brightening. “We  _ are _ here!”

Sokka looks over at the others, puzzled. “I don’t get it.”

“It’s beneath us,” Aang explains, pointing to the ground.

“Wait, really?” Haru says, eyes wide with wonder.

“Wow,” Toph breathlessly exclaims, toes clenching the dirt as she feels out the temple below, “this place is amazing.”

Aang smiles a little, a bit of his old self shining through. It makes Sokka smile, too.

“Well what are we waiting for? I wanna take these stupid shoes off!” The Duke cries, racing up toward the edge of the cliff. He looks down, then back over his shoulder at Aang. “How do we get down there?”

Aang turns to Appa. “You up for it, buddy?” The sky bison grumbles in response. Sokka takes it to mean yes when Aang smiles at the gentle beast and motions for everyone to climb back on. “Appa’s got us covered.”

* * *

When they land, Haru and Teo are taken in by the incredible sights of the air temple. They and the Duke go off to explore, leaving Katara, Aang, Toph, and Sokka alone.

Aang begins to run after the others, but Katara stops him with his own staff. When he complains, she tells him that they’ve got some things to discuss.

“So do we,” Toph says, looping her arm around Sokka’s and dragging him off. 

Once she finds a place she deems secluded enough to talk, Toph sits him down in front of her and folds her arms. “You firebended in the bunker.”

In true Toph fashion, she doesn’t beat around the bush at all. “No hiding from you, is there?” he says with a hollow laugh. Looking down at his hands, he nods. “I did. I didn’t mean to, but I was so angry at Azula and worried about Suki that I--”

“Breathed fire like a freaking  _ dragon _ ?” Toph finishes for him.

“Hold on, I didn’t breathe  _ actual  _ fire, it was just hot air. Steam.”

“Close enough.”

“But wait,” he says, a thought coming to him, “how could you tell?”

“These ears hear everything,” she confidently replies, pointing to her ears. “Plus, I could feel the change in your heartbeat afterward. And in Azula’s. Not much that could shock that psycho...”

How is he still underestimating her like this? 

“I sensed you were hiding something for a while now. I think it started back in Ba Sing Se when you kept running off. Katara and Aang bought your excuses, but I could tell you were lying or telling half-truths.”

And he thought he was being so careful and clever… “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Toph shrugs. “I figured you’d say something if it was important. I’m not nosy like Katara, I respect people’s privacy.”

Fair enough. “That wasn’t it though, was it?”

“It was a bunch of little things, really. Stuff I didn’t put together until that moment with Azula.”

“Like what?” he asks out of curiosity.

“Like when you were freaking out about what happened in the desert and made me tell you everything.” She pauses, realizing something. “That’s why you kept saying you were a firebender and thinking you’d actually set me on fire.” She unexpectedly bursts into laughter. “The truth was under our noses the whole time! Wow, you’re lucky we dismissed everything because you were drunk on cactus juice.”

Sokka frowns, not appreciating the laughter at his expense. He’d been genuinely terrified at the time! But yeah, she has a point. He is lucky they dismissed it as the ramblings of a totally wasted, deliriously dehydrated Sokka. “What else?” he asks, referring to these little signs she had that he was hiding something. 

“Well, a couple times I caught you practicing forms--”

Sokka pales. “When was this?!” he nearly shrieks.

“One time was while we were on that naval ship and the other was some time we were camping in the woods. I dunno.”

“ _ Tooooooph! _ ” he cries, voice breaking because puberty decides that now is the time to really rub salt in the wound, the bastard.

“They didn’t seem anything like the moves you normally practiced when training with your weapons and I recognized them from some of the firebenders we fought.”

“I really hate how observant you are sometimes.”

The earthbender smirks. “I know.”

“Just so you know, I don’t know how I did...whatever it was I did down in the bunker. I was just so angry and afraid for Suki, but I didn’t even realize I was doing it…” It unnerves him. It reminds him of back when they lived in the South Pole and Katara would stir up the waters, crack the ice, or make it snow around them when she got angry or upset. It reminds him even more of when Aang lost control of his firebending and burned Katara. Jeong Jeong’s words ring in his ears for the first time in a long time: “ _ If you continue to deny the fire that burns within you, it will inevitably consume you and those around you.”  _

“I don’t want to lose control like that again.”

Nodding in understanding, Toph replies, “then don’t” much to Sokka’s consternation.

“Well how do I do that?”

“You learn control. I assume you’ve already learned a little if you know the forms. Breathing and emotional discipline are pretty important for you guys.” You guys. As in firebenders. Sokka’s still not used to considering himself amongst them. He wonders if he ever will be.

“I have,” he confesses. “Jeong Jeong and General Iroh both taught me a little.”

“I knew it! I knew you two were friends!”

Sokka sorta wants to laugh, but his nerves have him too knotted up inside to find the humor in her childish glee at being right. “That’s why I was running off in Ba Sing Se. I was meeting up with him for lessons.”

Toph’s jaw drops, and then her expression morphs into one of excitement. “I bet he’s an  _ awesome _ teacher!”

With a small smile, he concedes that yeah, Iroh is a pretty awesome teacher. “I wish I could’ve learned more from him, but we ran out of time.”

“Bummer.”

“I’m not sure how much more I wanted to learn, though,” he says, thinking aloud. “I don’t  _ want _ to be a firebender.”

“Because of how you became one?” Toph guesses, causing Sokka’s brows to skyrocket to the top of his forehead. Sensing his surprise, Toph elaborates: “Court life isn’t always as glamorous as people think. And I’ve heard of situations like yours before happening on the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom.”

Sokka feels himself growing angry. “Why would they talk about that stuff in front of you?!”

“They normally forgot I was there. Or I wasn’t supposed to be there, but I was listening in. Terrible news makes for great gossip,” she says with a disdain for the upper classes that Sokka has come to recognize.

“That’s awful.”

“I know.” A moment passes before Toph changes the subject. “So when did you find out?”

“When I was eight. There was a really bad storm one night and our dad was away. We were sitting in our hut when a gust of wind blew in and knocked out the fire. I went to grab the flints and had barely even touched them when the fire sparked back to life again. I looked at my mom and Gran Gran thinking one of them did it somehow, but my mom said it was me.”

“So they were as shocked as you were?” She sits down beside him.

“Definitely. Raids on the southern water tribe had been going on for decades, but what I didn’t know was that our mom had seen another raid before the one that killed her. A soldier found her alone and…” he squeezes his eyes shut, swallowing past the lump in his throat.

“You don’t have to say it,” Toph says, cutting him off with a hand on his shoulder. It’s not only comforting, but grounding. That’s Toph in a nutshell, he supposes, and he boy he’s glad to have her around right now.

He nods, silently thanking her for sparing him from having to say it. “My parents worried at first whether I was the result of that or not, but when I showed no signs of firebending they figured I couldn’t have been. I didn’t look like I had even a drop of Fire Nation blood in me. It wasn’t until I was eight that we all realized they were wrong.”

“That’s why she never told you before.”

“Yeah. After she told me everything, she asked if I wanted to tell my dad or not. I decided to wait because my mom said she was worried he’d leave home to seek revenge and I didn’t want him to leave. And I was still trying so hard to process it myself that I wasn’t ready for anyone else to know.”

Beneath the bangs hanging in her face, Sokka can see how she continues to put the puzzle together. “That’s what you were talking about when we were on the cliff that day. Back when you were telling me about what things were like after your mom died.” 

“We agreed that when I was ready we’d tell my dad and Katara together, but we never got the chance and I just couldn’t do it without her. When dad left and told me that I was in charge of the village while he was gone, I decided not to tell anyone out of fear that they’d find out the son of the chieftain was a fake and one of the enemy.”

“You’ve been keeping this a secret for  _ years _ …” Oddly enough, she looks impressed as well as sad. “None of us ever had a  _ clue _ .”

“Katara and my dad still don’t,” he says softly, staring at the floor. He feels more ashamed than ever about not telling them. He wonders if he’s ever going to even get the chance now to tell his dad. 

Toph sits down beside him and grabs his hand. “I think it’s time you changed that, and I think you know that, too.” She’s right. Perhaps it’s a good thing she found out, because he’s pretty sure he’d never work up the courage himself to say anything. 

With a long sigh, he nods. He knows she can see him more clearly than anyone with a working pair of eyes can right now, but he still can’t bear to look up at her. He wishes he was in that hole he’d made for himself in the snow after running away from his mom and the harsh truth of his birth back when he was eight. 

“You don’t have to do it alone, either,” she adds, giving his hand a squeeze and leaning in to bump shoulders with him. “And for what it’s worth, I don’t think your dad will hate you. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d turn his back on his son like that. I think you’re his son in every way that counts.”

Sokka feels the tears coming, but he smiles, heart swelling. He raises his head at last, hoping she can sense how appreciative he is even if she can’t see it. “Thanks, Toph.”

“Hey, I know all about chosen families. You guys are mine,” she says with a vulnerability Sokka’s seldom heard before. Not since that day on the cliffs after she fought with Katara.

Sokka’s smile widens. He knows she’ll hate it, but he reaches forward and wraps his arms around her anyway. “Damn right we are.”

Toph laughs between little sniffles, and it gets Sokka laughing, too. They sit like that a moment, hugging each other and laughing quietly to themselves.

“As for Katara,” Toph begins, breaking the silence, “she won’t hate you, either.”

Sokka scoffs. “Have you met my sister? C’mon, you’ve heard the way she talks about firebenders; the Fire Nation. To find out her brother is one of them would--”

“But you’re not,” Toph interrupts in a tone that leaves no room for argument. “Take it from someone who’s been told what they are their whole life:  _ you  _ choose who you are, not them. My parents said I was a helpless little blind girl, but I pushed back and said, ‘no, I’m the greatest earthbender who ever lived and my blindness is my strength, not my weakness.’”

He stares back at her in surprise. “Wow, Toph, that’s…” He’s kinda at a loss for words.

“Wise? Genius? Brilliant? Yeah, I know,” she says with a satisfied grin. Sokka shakes his head and laughs. “But seriously,” she says, sobering up again, “if anything, Katara will feel guilty about making you think you couldn’t tell her earlier.”

“I dunno, Toph…” He isn’t really sure how Katara will react. She probably won’t hate him for what he is, knowing it’s not his fault he was born a firebender, but she might hate him for not telling her. Sure, she could feel guilty like Toph described, but Sokka fears she’ll feel angry and betrayed because he didn’t say anything. What if that’s what makes him lose her forever?

“You need to tell her, Sokka,” Toph insists. “You need to tell everyone. You had better do it now while you can still do it on your own terms.”

Sokka groans. “You’re right.” He looks up at her, wide-eyed and afraid. “I know you’re right, but I’m scared, Toph.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Sokka. You’ve got this.” She bumps shoulders with him again and he wishes he could find it comforting.

“I really don’t think I do,” he argues, shaking his head.

“C’mon, you’re doing this. It’s time.” She takes his hand and pulls him to his feet, leading him back to the others.

Sokka’s heart pounds in his chest, thuds in his ears, and drowns out the world and everything else in it. Part of him wants to fight her --not that it’s really an option with how strong she is and how powerful an earthbender she is. She could drag him by his ankles if she had to-- but he hesitantly follows because he knows she’s right. It  _ is _ time.

He’s breathing hard and his hands are shaking when Toph brings him back to camp. She pats him on the back as a way to say ‘good luck’ without actually saying anything. Katara is just landing Appa, having apparently gone on a ride. Aang is closing his glider. What in Kuruk’s name have these two been up to?

“Good, you guys are back, too,” says Katara as she hops down off of Appa. “We have to talk about what we’re going to do next.”

Toph looks over in Sokka’s direction expectantly. Clearly she wants him to pipe up and stop his sister so he can tell her his secret, but instead he remains silent. Toph frowns in disapproval.

“We need to figure out who we can get to teach Aang firebending,” Katara says as she directs them all to sit in a circle on some stone benches. Toph claims a tall, broken pillar and sits a head or two above them all. If she was aiming for height to make herself seem taller, she’s failed. Sokka thinks it just makes her look smaller. He’s definitely not telling  _ her _ that, though. Especially not when he’s feeling even smaller. “And what our plan to stop the Fire Lord is.”

“Isn’t our only option just to help Aang master firebending and to fight the Fire Lord before the comet comes?” Toph asks.

Aang huffs and splays out on his back across the bench. “Yeah, sure. No problem.” He rearranges himself so he’s laying on his side with his head propped up in his hand. He eyes a pebble and flicks it away. It shoots across the temple and lodges itself in the wall. Sokka and Katara look back at Aang with mounting concern. Toph raises her eyebrows. “I’ll just do that,” he caustically replies. 

Katara frowns, sensing his frustration. “No one said it was gonna be easy, Aang.”

Aang rearranges himself once more so he’s sitting up on the bench. “Well it’s not even gonna be  _ possible _ ! Where am I even supposed to  _ find _ a firebending teacher!” he rants, waving his hands in a frustrated motion.

Katara’s face scrunches into one of deep thought. “We could look for Jeong Jeong?”

Aang flops back down onto the stone bench, throwing his arms up in defeat. Can he just sit still already? Sokka thought the monks were taught all about stillness or whatever since they’re always spending hours meditating. “Yeah, right. Like we’ll ever run into Jeong Jeong again!” Sokka sees him roll his eyes practically out of his head. It makes him worried. He’s never seen Aang so absolutely jaded.

But Sokka doesn’t think it’s the greatest idea, either, to be honest. “Even if we did, he wouldn’t be right for Aang. He was kind of an asshole.”

“Okay, so  _ not _ Jeong Jeong then,” says Katara with a twinge of annoyance. “He can’t be the only defector. Maybe there’s somebody else out there that we just don’t know about yet.”

“Pfft, I doubt it,” says Aang. Sokka does a double take, wondering when there became two of himself. Aang’s sarcasm and pessimistic attitude is sounding a tad too familiar. It’s unsettling.

Katara stands up, folding her arms across her chest. She’s angry. Or perhaps fed up is a better word. “And what’s  _ your _ plan? Give up?”

Aang uses his airbending to flip himself up onto his feet. “I dunno, Katara, I’m just a twelve-year-old kid! I have no idea what I’m doing and I’m sick of failing everyone! If you’re so determined, why don’t  _ you _ go fight the Fire Lord, then!”

Katara grits her teeth as she hangs her head. “You know I can’t,” she murmurs. With a fierce stare, Katara meets his eyes again and adds, “The spirits chose you for a reason, Aang. You can’t give up now. I know things seem bleak, but if you do then you’re just making the sacrifice our dad and everyone else back in the capital made useless. You said back there that you wanted to make it up to them, and this is how: by continuing to fight.”

“Katara’s right, Twinkle Toes, and you know it. Losing sucks, but when it happens, you gotta pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again.”

Aang sighs. Sokka can see the fight leaving him. He flops back down on the bench. “You’re both right,” he quietly admits, sounding more tired than before. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Katara says, coming over to sit beside him and put an arm around him. “We get it. You’re under a lot of pressure. I can’t imagine what it must be like.”

“I literally have the fate of the  _ entire world _ in my hands,” Aang says despairingly.

“But you don’t have to hold it alone,” Sokka cuts in. “You’ve got us.” As he says it, he realizes that applies to himself, too. They probably will still have his back even if he is a firebender. Even if he held the truth from them.

Toph and Katara nod, the conversation moving forward even as Sokka battles his own fears. “You’re allowed to have moments of doubt,” Katara tells Aang, stroking his back in calming circles. 

“And when you do, we’ll be there to help send those thoughts packing,” Toph says, pounding her fist into her hand. 

Aang smiles a little and glances between them all. “Thanks, guys.” But he frowns again a moment later, something still nagging him. Sokka thinks he knows what it is. “But there’s still the problem of learning firebending. Who are we gonna get to teach me?”

That’s when Sokka sees his opportunity to help and to come clean. “I’ve got an idea,” he says, and naturally everyone turns to him. Sokka takes a deep breath, gulping hard as if it’ll make the ladybug-butterflies fly away. It doesn’t. “Zuko’s Uncle Iroh. He must be in prison after being captured in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. We could break him out and he could teach you.”

Toph’s expression brightens. “A prison break? Now  _ that’s _ an idea! I’m  _ in _ !”

Katara gapes at him. “You want to bust  _ Zuko’s uncle _ out of jail to have him teach Aang firebending?! Are you  _ insane _ ?”

Sokka’s not phased. “I thought we already established this during the invasion: yes, I am.”

“Sokka, even if he did side against Azula in Ba Sing Se, that doesn’t mean he’d be willing to help us,” says Aang.

“But he  _ would _ be. I  _ know _ he would,” Sokka insists. And here it comes…

“How do you know?” Katara demands.

Sokka squeezes his eyes shut and takes a deep breath. “Because he taught  _ me _ !” he blurts out. He doesn’t dare open his eyes.

Silence falls between them. 

“What d’you mean he taught you?” Katara asks.

Slowly, he opens his eyes again, staring hard at the floor as he tries to even out his breathing. “Back in Ba Sing Se, I ran into him at his tea shop and he--”

“You mean you knew Zuko was in the city?” Katara exclaims.

Sokka cringes. “Yeah, but they were just minding their own business--”

“Yeah, right!” Katara goes on, growing angrier.

“Let him talk!” Toph snaps. Sokka quietly thanks her.

“I was going to run off and tell you guys when I spotted Zuko, but his uncle noticed me before I could leave. He convinced me to come outside and talk to him.”

“But why trust him in the first place? He’s Zuko’s uncle,” asks Aang.

“Because he…” Spirits, they’re gonna hate him for keeping all this from them. “...he helped me before. In the Northern Water Tribe.”

“What?” Katara practically screeches. 

“What do you mean he ‘helped’ you? What was he teaching you?”

“After Yue...after Yue was gone and Katara left to find Aang, Iroh approached me. He started off saying his condolences, but then we started talking and he just figured me out. I dunno how. He realized how much I was struggling with...what I could do, so he offered to teach me a breathing exercise to help.”

“Struggling with what, firebending?” Katara says, trying to sound serious but dissolving into laughter she hides behind her hand.

“ _ Yes _ ,” Sokka answers, absolutely dead serious and a little peeved that she seems to find the idea of him being a bender so amusing.

There’s a moment of silence as the truth sinks in. Katara’s laughter quickly subsides and her eyes widen as she realizes he isn’t kidding.

Aang jabs a finger in his direction. “Are you saying  _ you’re _ a  _ firebender _ ?!” His eyes are huge and his jaw nearly touches the floor.

Sokka merely nods.

“That’s impossible! How could you  _ possibly _ be a firebender?” questions Katara, who is clearly and understandably having a hard time understanding this.

“There was another raid before the one that took mom from us,” he begins quietly, glancing up at her and then back at his hands which he anxiously fiddles with. The time for the truth has finally come and he’s barely managing to keep himself breathing.

“What?” Katara gasps.

“It happened about sixteen years ago. One of the soldiers involved found mom alone and--” He looks up at Katara, tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat he can’t get past.

Katara shakes her head furiously, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. “No. No, Sokka, tell me he didn’t--”

Sokka wishes he could tell her he didn’t, but he can’t and she knows it. He shuts his eyes, unable to look any longer at the hurt in her eyes as she realizes what he’s known for years: their mother suffered so much more at the hands of the Fire Nation than they realized. She was stronger than anyone ever knew. His voice breaks as he answers, “He did. He did, and I’m so sorry, Katara. I’m  _ so _ sorry!”

“Sokka, it’s not your fault--” Aang gently cuts in, but he’s not listening, he’s just burying his face in his hands.

“Nine months later--” his throat tightens again, cutting him off. He swallows and tries again. “Nine months later, I was born,” he finally chokes out.

He can hear Katara openly weeping now. Sokka does his best to trudge on with this horrible story. “I looked so much like her and dad and I never showed any signs of firebending, so they assumed she hadn’t gotten pregnant from it.”

“So when did they realize they were wrong?” Aang dares to ask.

“When I was eight. There was a bad storm and our dad was out with the men. We were sitting in our hut when a gust of wind got in and blew the fire out. I went to grab the flints, but without even realizing, I lit the fire again all on my own. I thought maybe mom or Gran Gran did it, but mom told me it wasn’t. That’s when she told me everything.”

“Sokka, I…” He looks up at the airbender warily, wondering what expression he’ll find on his face there. He’s surprised to find sadness and shock, but not a trace of anger or betrayal. “All this time…”

“I know,” he answers in a voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry.” His attention cuts to Katara, wondering what she’s thinking. She hasn’t said anything yet.

Katara simply looks stunned. And hurt.

“You must hate me for keeping it from you all this time,” he begins, and she vehemently shakes her head, tears spilling from her eyes. Katara gets up from her stone bench, and Sokka fearfully gets to his feet as well for whatever she’s about to hit him with. Will it be anger? Resentment? Rejection?

She steps forward and tackles him with a hug. Like a statue, Sokka stands there blinking in confusion. 

“Why  _ did _ you keep it from me?”

“Because I thought you would hate me for lying to you; for being the thing you hate; for being a permanent living reminder of what happened to mom.”

“Oh, Sokka, no.” She squeezes him tighter. “I could  _ never _ ! I’m so sorry if I ever made you feel like I would.” She tenses, as if suddenly remembering something. “All the things I’ve said over the years…” she pulls away, eyeing him with pain and guilt. “No wonder you kept it a secret.”

“To be honest, it was also kind of because I couldn’t really admit it myself.”

“Still,” Katara says tearfully. “If I’d--I could’ve been there…”

“It’s not your fault,” he insists, kissing the top of her head. “It was my choice.”

“Does your dad know?” Aang pipes up from his right. Sokka nearly forgot the others were here.

“I’ve never had the courage to tell him…”

“Wait, really?” Katara says, looking up at him in surprise.

Sokka glances at the floor. “Mom promised that when I was ready we’d do it together…” Katara pulls him in for another hug.

“All those times I accused you of loving mom less than me or of forgetting her,” she says in horror and shame. “I was so wrong. Sokka, I--”

“Had no idea,” he finishes for her. “I know.” He pats her on the back gently. “After dad left, I thought I couldn’t tell anyone. I was afraid people would find out and banish me or shun me. I was too ashamed to even tell you. All I knew was that I had to be the leader he expected me to be in his absence even if I wasn’t really his son.”

“But you are,” Katara insists, pulling away to look at him. She cups his face with both hands and turns it so he’s forced to meet her eyes. “You’re his son and my brother in every single way that matters.”

Sokka can’t help but chuckle a little. “Toph said nearly the same exact thing earlier,” he says through sniffles.

“Earlier?” Katara and Aang both turn to the earthbender.

“I figured him out and that’s what I was talking to him about while you were talking to Aang. I convinced him it was time to tell you guys.”

“How did you know?” Aang asks in wonder.

“In the Fire Lord’s bunker during the eclipse. He did this like, snarling dragon thing where he breathed hot air at Azula when she wouldn’t tell him what she did to Suki.”

“How were you able to tell?”

For a blind girl, Toph gives a great stink-eye. “Who do you think I am, Twinkle Toes? With these ears and these feet,” she says, gesturing to each, “how could I not?”

Aang glances between Toph and Sokka, understanding dawning on him. “That’s why she was targeting you after she broke free and attacked us again!” 

“Yup. He gave himself away not only to me, but to Azula.”

“Wait, so are you able to…?” Katara asks, gesturing awkwardly to his hands.

Sokka shakes his head. “The few times I’ve done it were usually by accident. Iroh and Jeong Jeong helped me learn some ways to control it--”

“ _ Jeong Jeong _ ? You had  _ Jeong Jeong _ teach you?” Aang’s eyes are bugging out of his head.

Sokka shrugs. “I was wandering around his tent when I couldn’t sleep one night and he made me come inside and talk to him. I didn’t say anything, he just knew. Something about masters being able to sense that kind of thing.”

“Well that’s annoying,” Toph dryly remarks from her pillar.

Aang leans in, rapidly firing off questions at him. “What did he teach you? Was it anything useful? Do you remember it? Can you teach me?”

Overwhelmed, Sokka holds his hands up in hopes that Aang will get his meaning and back off. 

“Easy, Aang. You can ask him later. I think now’s a bad time.” Sokka nods at his sister in relief and appreciation. 

“I really don’t think I’m the right person for that, anyway,” he adds. “I’m terrible at the whole meditating, breathing thing and I’m even worse at the forms.”

“Forms? You know the firebending forms?!”

“You know the forms?!” Aang cries out, utterly scandalized.

Ah, crap. “Only a little.” Feeling awkward, Sokka rubs the back of his neck. “Iroh taught them to me. We didn’t get to finish, though.”

“Spirits, Sokka, how long was he teaching you for?”

He winces at Katara’s tone. He tries to remind himself that she’s not upset about him being a firebender, she’s upset about him being taught by Iroh. He gets that she doesn’t trust Zuko especially after what happened in the catacombs. Even with the knowledge that Iroh helped them rescue her and turned against his own family, he gets that Katara doesn’t know Iroh the way he does. He gets the lack of trust.

Still, Sokka wishes the earth could swallow him up right now-- actually, Toph could help make that happen. Maybe he could ask…No. “A couple weeks.”

“That’s where you kept running off to in Ba Sing Se...you weren’t going to the libraries or academies, you were going to lessons with Iroh,” Aang says.

Katara folds her arms, clearly peeved. “Okay, so Jeong Jeong knows, Zuko’s uncle knows, Azula knows...who else knows?”

Sokka squirms. “Gran Gran--” He hears Katara mutter ‘ _ of course _ .’ “--Ty Lee, Hama, Piandao, Combustion Man...oh, and I guess the handful of Fire Nation citizens that were trapped in that cave with me because of Hama.” He tries to say it quickly because he knows they’re going to have some opinions on this, but it doesn’t help in the slightest because they’re on him before he’s even finished saying Ty Lee’s name.

“Wait, how does Combustion Man know?” asks Aang.

At the same time, Toph goes, “Ty Lee? Wait, was this when she was taking you to that jail cell after we were captured in the king’s palace?”

And Katara also, at the same time, practically screeches, “ _ Hama?! _ ”

Sokka raises his hands. “Guys, stop! I’ll explain, just stop shouting!” That last comment is mostly directed toward Katara. Everyone quiets down. “Yes, Ty Lee found out when she was hauling us off to a cell in the Earth King’s palace. She started telling me I had this weird aura and spouting off what the colors I gave off meant and next thing I know, she’s connected the dots and guessed I had a secret and that the secret was firebending.”

“That’s wild,” Toph murmurs, impressed. “So that’s why she brought you in so long after me and the Earth King.”

“What’s even weirder is that Azula came to figure out what was taking her so long, but she didn’t say anything about me being a firebender. And if Azula’s reaction in the bunker is anything to go by, Ty Lee’s still kept that secret.”

“Why would she do that, though?” Katara asks.

“I dunno. I mean, she had a crush on me, but Azula’s her friend. Wait, is friend the right word? Maybe it’s more like ‘boss’ or ‘leader...Ty Lee’s more like a henchwoman than a friend, isn’t she?’”

“It doesn’t matter,” Toph curtly tells him, indicating he should just get on with the story.

“Maybe she didn’t think it was anything useful to Azula so that’s why she didn’t say anything?” Aang guesses. Sokka shrugs. He has no idea why Ty Lee actually kept his secret. He’s still astounded she didn’t out him.

“Okay, so Hama,” says Katara, moving on to the next person on the list.

“After she kidnapped me, she came to visit and started ranting about how I didn’t understand the need for revenge or the suffering she’d been through. I was sick of her acting like it was some stupid competition and thought that maybe telling her my story might somehow persuade her to stop hurting people.”

“Fat load of good that did ya,” says Toph sarcastically.

Katara averts her gaze to the floor. “She didn’t care,” she says in a small, hollow voice. Their encounter with Hama still haunts her.

He shakes his head. “It only made her wonder why I wouldn’t join her. She said I should understand better than you why she was doing all of it. She said I should be begging to join her.”

“So when you said no, is that how you got the cut on your cheek?” Aang wonders.

“Nope. I got that for not talking properly to an ‘elder,’” he says spitefully. Hama was no elder. She was a killer and a manipulator and he hopes she stays in jail so she never hurts another person ever again.

Toph’s lips spread in an impish grin. “ _ Nice _ .”

“So…” Aang says in a way that implies he’s about to change the subject. “Piandao?” 

“After you guys started to leave his estate, I stayed behind to talk to him. I asked for his advice about what to do about it. I dunno, maybe it was kind of a way to practice telling you guys, too? I just felt like I could trust him.”

“So how did Combustion Man find out?” asks Toph. She’s yet to hear this story, too, and by the tone of her voice and the look on her face, she’s very excited to.

“Um...I sorta, kinda firebended at him?!”

“Wait, what? When?” With his wide eyes and gaping mouth, Aang reminds him of a koi fish. His orange and yellow clothing only helps to strengthen the comparison.

“The last time we ran into him. When we went to find Toph and Katara and he chased us down. At one point, he cornered me and I panicked. It just happened. I have no idea how I even did it. I’ve never done it before then.”

Toph grins. “Cool.”

“It was kinda terrifying, actually. It was the first real firebending I’ve ever done.”

“But it worked,” Aang says, “You held him off!” He sounds impressed, and Sokka supposes it is impressive, but all he can feel is unnerved by the fact that he just accidentally produced that much fire.

“If you had shown up just a few moments earlier, you might’ve seen me do it,” Sokka tells him, to which Aang’s gaping, fish-like maw drops even further. 

“What?! I was that close?! Aw, man!” If Sokka wasn’t still feeling so tense, he’d laugh at how childishly disappointed the younger man is.

“So that’s everyone, then?” Katara asks, interrupting them.

“Yeah.”

“Wait,” Aang says, everyone’s attention snapping back to him. “Remember when I...I burned Katara,” he says, shame darkening his features briefly, “and you tackled me because you thought I’d scarred her?” 

“What about it?” he and Katara both ask.

“Yikes,” mutters Toph, inhaling sharply.

“You weren’t just mad at me, you were also afraid of yourself, weren’t you?” Aang looks at him with those earnest, soul-searching eyes and Sokka can’t handle it. His eyes flit to the floor, his cheeks burning. “And I remember you saying ‘we shouldn’t mess around with this’ and I thought you meant us as in us as a group, but what you really meant was us  _ firebenders _ .”

Sokka sighs. “Yeah.”

“You’ve hated yourself for this a long time, haven’t you?” Katara asks quietly. He doesn’t answer. He can’t.

“Sokka, that’s not fair to do that to yourself,” Aang adds.

“You need to cut that out  _ right now _ , Sparkles, cause Big Softy over here is right. You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“I hope now that you’ve told us, you won’t think like that anymore,” Katara says, hugging him for the fiftieth time or whatever today. When she pulls away, she smiles tearfully at him. “This doesn’t change anything for me, okay? You’re still my smart, goofy, sarcastic, meat-loving big brother and I love you no matter what.”

“Don’t think I didn’t hear you say I was smart,” Sokka replies with a smirk, and Katara playfully rolls her eyes in response. 

“I think this calls for a group hug,” Aang says.

“Absolutely,” says Katara.

“I really don’t think--” Sokka awkwardly begins to protest.

“Ugh, fine,” Toph grumbles, hopping off her pillar.

The group hug happens anyway. Sokka silently admits to himself that okay, yeah, that was nice. He definitely needed that.

“You know, maybe Sokka’s idea isn’t that bad,” Aang says suddenly as they disentangle themselves.

“I think I’ve got a better one,” Toph says, pointing to their right where Appa stands. The bison steps to the side. A tall, pale young man they know all too well with shaggy dark hair and an angry pink scar across his eye stands across from them. 

“Hi. Zuko here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE MADE IT. IT HAPPENED. How do you guys feel about it? What did you like? What were your favorite bits? Did it live up to your hype? I really, REALLY hope so!!!
> 
> Side Note: you can clearly tell I spend too much time with children with the way I write the Duke, huh? HAHA. I just really enjoy the idea of The Duke being a typical kid but also knowing some words or things he really shouldn't because of Jet and the others. And I love the idea of Katara's motherly side rearing its head and being like, "WHAT HEATHEN TAUGHT YOU THAT" even though she already knows exACTly who. XD
> 
> As always, I appreciate your reviews more than I can say and I am SO grateful for your support and outpouring of love for this fic!
> 
> See ya next week and stay safe!


	18. The Western Air Temple: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While still trying to process Sokka's reveal, Zuko shows up to shake things up a little more. And then, later, so does Combustion Man. AKA: Zuko finally joins the group!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for not delivering this chapter to you guys last week as originally planned! Last week wound up being REALLY busy and exhausting and stressful for a number of reasons. Plus, I hit a slight snag with this chapter that stumped me for a while.
> 
> But I hope this chapter is worth the wait! 
> 
> I gotta say, though, I was OVERWHELMED by the incredible support and glowing reviews for last chapter. I was so worried about how it would go and you guys really made my week (my rather shitty and hectic week) so much brighter. I'm so thrilled with the response and so relieved that you all enjoyed it. Thank you so, so, so much for your wonderful, amazing, detailed comments. I really do love reading them every time.
> 
> And with that, let's get to the chapter!

> _ "Hi. Zuko here." _

Just to make things a little more awkward than they already are simply by his being here, Zuko gives them a little wave. A _wave_. 

For a moment, they're all too stunned to react. And then there's a flurry of motion as they collect themselves.  Aang raises his staff and crouches into a fighting position. Katara raises her arms and draws a stream of water out of her water pouch. Sokka begins to reach for his sword out of habit, but hesitates. If Zuko were here to fight them, he would’ve attacked by now. 

Toph seems to get this, too, because she doesn’t take any kind of defensive position.

“Give me  _ one _ good reason not to send you sailing over this cliff right now,” Katara hisses at the prince, and Zuko’s eyes widen at the hostility in her voice. Even Sokka cringes. He’s never seen her so angry before. Not like this, anyway.

The firebender holds his hands up. “Please hear me out! I’m not here to hurt anyone--”

“Yeah, right.”

“I swear on my mother’s life I’m not,” Zuko practically pleads, and that Sokka is willing to buy. He remembers the way Iroh talked about the prince’s relationship with her. Going off of what he learned, it sounds like Zuko was incredibly close to her. Her loss hurt him a great deal. Swearing on her life is no laughing matter.

“Let’s hear him out,” Sokka cautiously tells Katara.

“If he wanted to attack us, he’d have done it by now,” Toph adds.

Katara gapes at them, then turns to Aang to see if the betrayal is complete.

Very visibly uncomfortable at having to be the deciding vote here, Aang’s eyes dart between the four of them. At last, they land on Zuko. In a small voice, he says, “What kind of Avatar would I be if I didn’t give him a chance?”

Katara makes a disgusted noise and lets the water flow back into her pouch. She drops her fighting stance and folds her arms across her chest. Scowling, she glares over at Zuko and begrudgingly nods. “Fine. Go on.”

Zuko nods in silent appreciation toward him and Aang. “I’m sorry for startling--”

“More like  _ intruding _ ,” Katara mutters. 

Zuko swallows. “--but I saw you flying around up there and thought I’d wait for you here.”

“Flying around?” Sokka glances over at Aang and Katara curiously. 

Aang warily peeks over at Katara, who seems intent on reserving all her focus and energy on attempting to turn Zuko into a popsicle with nothing but her eyes. He decides to answer for them both. “Katara was trying to make me feel better about the invasion and I was avoiding her, so she chased after me on Appa.” he rubs the back of his bald head bashfully.

Toph frowns. “Have you learned  _ nothing _ from our earthbending training? No running away from your problems like some lily-livered scaredy-cat!” she chides.

“I’m sorry the invasion didn’t go well,” Zuko says, earning their attention once more. “And I know you must be surprised to see me here--”

“Not really, since you’ve chased us all over the world,” Sokka deadpans.

“And tried to capture, hurt, and  _ kill _ us,” Katara adds.

Zuko shifts on his feet looking guilty and contrite. Good. “Right...um, anyways, what I wanted to tell you about is that I’ve changed and uh,” he stalls out for a moment. Sokka can see him working through what he wants to say, panic rising as the seconds tick by and the fear of saying the wrong thing making him hesitate further. He better get a move on before Katara makes good on her threat. “I’m good now. And, well, I think I should join your group. I heard you talking about trying to find a firebending teacher for Aang and...I’m a firebender, y’know--”

Toph and Sokka snort. This makes Sokka’s invasion speech seem eloquent.

“Oh, we’re  _ well _ aware,” Katara seethes.

Zuko fidgets. “Well, I can teach firebending. To you,” he says, waving a hand at Aang who looks completely taken aback by the offer. 

“Absolutely not,” Katara replies without missing a beat.

“Katara--”

Whatever Aang is about to say, if he’s about to say anything else, is cut short by Zuko. “I heard you mention my uncle, but I’m sorry, no one knows where he is. He broke out of prison during the invasion and he was long gone by the time I went looking for him.” He hangs his head. “I took too long.”

“Obviously he’s in hiding, but maybe when he hears you left--” Toph starts to say with compassion, but Katara cuts her off.

“Why are you talking to him like he’s our friend? He’s not!”

“Because he’s telling the truth! Besides, we don’t have any other options and we’re kinda on the clock, in case you forgot! His uncle’s a good guy. He helped us  _ and _ he helped Sokka.”

“But it’s  _ Zuko _ !” Katara says, waving her hands emphatically. “We  _ can’t _ trust him! Not after Ba Sing Se!”

“I’m not saying to forget your trauma; just put it aside for Aang’s sake,” Toph insists.

Zuko takes a careful step forward. “I’ve done some good things!” Katara is, of course, skeptical. “I could’ve stolen your bison back in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free.”

As if he knows he’s being talked about, Appa stomps forward and licks Zuko’s back. Like, his whole back. Sokka sees saliva dripping from the older boy’s tunic.  _ Gross _ . The reaction it elicits from him and the way his hair sticks up as a result makes Sokka have to try very hard to resist laughing.

“Appa  _ does _ seem to like him…” Aang concedes.

“Oh,  _ please _ ! He could’ve covered himself in honey or something so Appa would lick him! Wouldn’t be the first time he’s tricked us,” Katara says conspiratorially.

“You mean the first time he tricked  _ you _ ,” Toph mutters. Katara scowls at her.

“I’m not here to trick  _ any _ of you!” Zuko says, desperate to earn their trust. “But I understand why you would think that. I know I’ve made mistakes in the past...”

Unable to help himself --old habits, he supposes-- Sokka retorts with,“Shall I count the ways?” Katara barks out a laugh. That was as far as Sokka planned to take it, but Katara decides it’s not far enough.

“Where to start?” she says before beginning to mercilessly list said mistakes. Except they’re not really ‘mistakes’. Mistakes are things like putting a shoe on the wrong foot or tying your tunic on backwards. The things Zuko’s done in the past are more like...transgressions. Really,  _ really _ egregious transgressions. “There was the time you attacked our village, the time you stole my mother’s necklace and used it to track us down and capture us, the time you attacked and set fire to Kyoshi Island, the time you kidnapped Aang while he was in the Avatar State and dragged him off into a snow storm, the time you--”

With each ‘mistake’ she lists, Zuko flinches. Realizing she’s just getting started and nowhere near finishing, Sokka steps forward and lays a hand on her shoulder. “I think you’ve made your point.”

She isn’t happy about being cut off, but she doesn’t argue, either.

Zuko sighs. “ _ Right _ . Those were all really awful things that I’ve done, and I’m sorry. I can’t tell you enough how sorry I am. I’m sorry for the attacks on the Southern Water Tribe and Kyoshi Island, I’m sorry for kidnapping Aang and for stealing your mother’s necklace, and I’m sorry for chasing you for so long. If only I’d realized things sooner and joined you back in Ba Sing Se. Then I never would’ve sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. It was a stupid idea and I’m gonna try to stop him--”

Hold up. “Do you mean Combustion Man?!”

Zuko bristles as he realizes what he’s just confessed to. “Well, that’s not his name, but…” 

“Oh, sorry!” Sokka replies, voice oozing with sarcasm. “I didn’t mean to insult your _murderous_ _friend_!”

“He’s not my friend!” Zuko says, raising his voice and clenching his fists.

“That guy had me and Katara thrown in jail and tried to blow us all up!” Toph says with a wave of her hands. “C’mon, Zuko, I was  _ rooting _ for you!”

“So was I! Your uncle kept telling me over and over about how you were a good person at heart and you were just lost. Guess you still are.” He shakes his head and turns away. 

“Wait, when did he say that to you? When did you two talk?”

Sokka turns back around. “When he was teaching me to control my firebending.”

Zuko blinks at him. “What? No…”

“Yeah, we’re still in shock over it, too,” says Toph.

The prince breaks into a fit of deranged laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Aang asks, looking torn between feeling confused and concerned.

Zuko composes himself. “Mai told me Ty Lee had this insane theory about you being a firebender and we both laughed it off, but you’re...you’re saying it’s  _ true _ ?”

Sokka fidgets with his tunic. “It was scary how she was able to figure it out just by using that crazy aura stuff.”

“She’s smarter than anyone gives her credit for,” Zuko says, as if just realizing this himself. When he meets eyes with him again, Zuko’s looking at him as if he holds his fate in his hands. In a way, Sokka supposes he does. He’s the only positive character witness Zuko’s got here. “So if you’ve spent that much time with my uncle, then you  _ must  _ know that there’s more to me than just the bad things I’ve done in the past!”

Sokka thinks back to the stories Iroh told him about the little boy who fed the turtle ducks in the pond; the boy who made his mother matcha instead of asking the servants to do it; the boy who played tag with his cousin Liu Ten. Iroh also told him about the argument with his father that led to his scarring and banishment. 

In short, Iroh told him humanizing details about the older boy whom they had all villainized. When Zuko first showed up at the Air Temple, Sokka thought that Iroh’s hopes for his nephew to see the proverbial light had finally come to fruition. Now, after hearing him confess the truth about Combustion Man, he thinks his instincts may have failed him this time. Hiring Combustion Man isn’t a bad thing Zuko did in the past, it’s a bad thing he did  _ recently _ .

“I do,” he admits, and then his tone hardens, “But you hired Combustion Man  _ after _ Ba Sing Se. It was only a few months ago. At first I was willing to believe your uncle was right about you being able to change, but now...” His lips curl downward into a dismayed frown. He resists the urge to begin pacing. “Going from hiring an assassin to kill the Avatar to showing up at his camp to join him just weeks later is some serious moral whiplash.”

“Wait,” says Toph, “I know what you’re saying and you’ve got a point, but...he’s still here, isn’t he? He said he was sorry and that he’s going to try to call Combustion Man off. I don’t know him as well as you guys do, but even I can tell that he’s a hothead. He acts without thinking, so he tends to do some really stupid stuff and regret it later.”

“He sent an assassin after us, Toph!” Katara shouts.

“I said  _ really _ stupid stuff, didn’t I?” 

Sokka wraps his arms around himself, feeling more unsure about this than anything else in a long while. His instincts are still telling him to trust the guy, but... “I dunno...I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but…” He spares a glance at Zuko, whose expression Sokka swears brightens with hope as they make direct eye contact. Sokka quickly looks away.

“Why bother? This proves what I’ve been saying! We can’t trust him!”

“But Aang needs a firebending teacher!” Toph argues.

“Yeah, one that _ isn’t _ gonna send  _ assassins _ after him!” Katara says.

“Toph’s right, though. We don’t know anyone else--” 

“Everyone stop talking!” Aang shouts, banging his staff on the ground. “ _ I’m _ the one that has to learn firebending” --he starts to say in his Avatar Voice before he stops to address Sokka, who freezes, and, more uncertainly, adds-- “well, maybe also Sokka…?” and waits for a response.

Sokka waves his hands in a way that very clearly says ‘ _ no thanks _ .’ “Let’s focus on you for now. ‘Kay, buddy?”

Aang nods, reassumes his Avatar Voice (marked by the way he puffs out his chest a little), and continues: “It’s up to me whether I want Zuko to be my teacher and--”

Zuko wordlessly pleads with the younger boy to go the route of forgiveness. “You once said you thought we could be friends. You saw the good in me! Please, I want to act on that goodness now. Give me a chance!”

Aang looks between Zuko and the rest of them as he ponders what to do. Toph outright tells him to think of what’s best for their mission to take down the Fire Lord, put his personal feelings aside, and take the firebender in. Katara shakes her head, side-eyeing Zuko with deep disdain and distrust in a silent campaign to convince Aang not to say yes. When his attention finally slides over to Sokka, he averts those wide, grey eyes as he finds himself unable to decide. 

Aang’s expression is full of conflict. Clearly the poll of his friends wasn’t as helpful as he’d hoped, leaving Sokka at a loss as to whether his friend is leaning toward accepting or declining the crown prince. 

Sokka bets the air must be feeling pretty thin for Zuko right now and that it’s got nothing to do with the altitude as they wait for Aang to make a decision. And then, at last... 

“I’m sorry,” he begins, and Sokka sighs. He finds himself unexpectedly feeling sorry for Zuko and a little disappointed in Aang’s choice. “There’s no way we can trust you after  _ everything _ you’ve done.”

Toph begins to object, but Aang plows forward. “We’ll  _ never _ let you join us.” With an air of finality, he turns around and walks away.

Sokka stares after him as Toph fumes.

Katara steps toward Zuko, who stands there with shock and despair on his face. “Get out of here.  _ Now _ ,” she warns, a dark edge to her voice that makes the hairs on Sokka’s neck stand up.

Zuko almost looks like he might cry, but swallows whatever mix of emotions he’s feeling down and at least partially composes himself. Enough, at least, to make one last ditch effort. “I’m trying to explain that I’m not that person anymore!” he calls after the Avatar’s retreating form. He tries to take a step forward, but Katara raises her arms and Sokka hears the water from the fountain obediently rising upward in a large wave behind him. Zuko takes the hint and steps backward.

“I said  _ get lost _ .” she growls.

Zuko stares at her in horror and disbelief. Sokka imagines he’s beginning to panic over what to do next now that his attempts to join them have failed. With a crushing sense of sympathy, Sokka realizes there’s no hope of going back to the royal palace for him. His father will probably have his head for committing treason. No way a scar and banishment is gonna cut it this time. “Well, if you won’t accept me as a friend,” he drops to his knees, garnering Aang’s attention. “Then maybe you’ll take me as a prisoner,” Zuko says, bearing his wrists to them and bowing his head.

“No,  _ we won’t _ !” Katara shouts back, raising the water from the fountain once again. It climbs upward until it’s Zuko’s height and then some before surging toward him with a force that sends him tumbling backwards when it makes contact and leaves him in a sad, soggy puddle. As the prince coughs and picks himself up off the floor, Katara tells him to get out and never come back. “And if we ever see you again, well…” she pauses to think for a moment, “I’ll show you just how much I’ve learned since Ba Sing Se.”

The fleeting thought that she might mean what Hama taught her crosses his mind but...she wouldn’t. Not even on Zuko...right?

Sighing in resignation, Zuko turns tail and heads back the way he came. Aang and Katara watch his retreating form with dark, angry eyes. Together, they’re like a raging ocean in a storm and the grey clouds looming above. 

Toph looks sad and frustrated, and he knows she’s going to go off on the others as soon as Zuko’s out of earshot.

As for himself, Sokka is beginning to think he backed the wrong choice. Maybe Toph was right after all...and above anything else, they  _ need _ a firebending teacher for Aang. Zuko’s the only potential candidate and they’re on a clock, but the fact that he hired Combustion Man still bothers Sokka. Why hire him at all if he thought Aang died back in Ba Sing Se? He saw Aang go down after Azula struck him but he wouldn’t have gone back home unless he knew Aang was dead. Wouldn’t he?

“You  _ idiots _ !” Toph’s shrill, angry voice snatches him out of his reverie. 

“ _ Excuse me?! _ ” Katara shouts back in an equally shrill tone. She rounds on Toph with her hands on her hips.

“Look, I get that he did some messed up stuff and betrayed your trust and everything--”

“You weren’t there, Toph! He did this  _ same exact thing _ back when we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se. He knew talking about his mom would get me to trust him and make himself seem like an actual human being with feelings--!”

“Which he  _ is _ ,” Toph pointedly reminds her.

“But no. He just wanted to catch me with my guard down, and what’s even worse is that it worked! I bought it! I really believed all those things he said; believed that he was actually as confused and hurt as he made himself sound--”

“Well he wasn’t lying this time. He was completely sincere when he was talking to us!”

“How could you  _ possibly _ buy that--!”

Toph stomps her foot in aggravation, hands clenched in fists at her sides. “Are you forgetting that I can  _ tell _ when people are lying?”

At least Katara reels back a little when she hears that.

“Katara, he really  _ did _ care for his mom a lot,” Sokka cuts in. “When I was training with his uncle, he kept telling me all these things about Zuko. He couldn’t really help himself, although I’m sure he was also kinda trying to get me to sympathize with the guy. He wouldn’t say exactly what happened to Zuko’s mom, but he did say that Zuko was never the same after she left.”

Katara huffs, folding her arms over her chest. “Well it hardly matters, ‘cause in the end he made his choice. He turned against us and he turned against his uncle. He  _ can’t _ be trusted!” She raises a hand to her temple as if trying to nurse a headache. “I can’t  _ believe _ I almost used my spirit water on him!”

“Wait, you offered to use it on him?”

“To heal his scar, yeah,” Katara regretfully replies. “It was so  _ stupid _ of me! To think I might not have had it to save you, Aang,” she says, eyeing the airbender.

_ Oh...OH. _

“Speaking of saving people…” Aang’s expression morphs into one of guilt. “I have a confession to make…” All eyes turn to him. Sokka’s attention is stolen away by the oncoming reveal. “Remember when you two were sick and I got captured by Zhao?”

Oh, Sokka remembers alright. “How could I forget?! You made us suck on  _ frozen swamp frogs _ !” Toph cackles. He shoots her a pointed glare that he knows will mean nothing to Toph, but at least makes him feel a little better. “I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!” he exclaims, opening his mouth and pointing at the flap in question.

Katara rolls her eyes. “I looked at it and told you there was  _ nothing _ there, Sokka!”

“Anyways,” says Aang, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Yes, there was,” Sokka mutters. “It’s  _ my _ throatal flap,” he says, but agrees to shelve the conversation for another time.

“ _ Anyways _ ,” Aang tries again in a sharper tone, waiting for silence before he continues. “When Zhao had me chained up…it was  _ Zuko _ who freed me and got me out. He risked his life to save me.”

Katara scoffs, throwing her hands into the air. “He only did that so he could capture you himself instead of Zhao!” She folds her arms again, scrunching her face in distaste for Zuko. “You’re just a prize to him, Aang.”

“Is that what he meant when he said you once thought you two could be friends?” Toph asks.

“Huh,” Sokka thoughtfully brings a finger to his chin. “Now that comment makes a lot more sense…”

“Yeah, that’s what he was talking about, but…”

“But what was his response, hm?” Katara asks.

Aang bows his head. “He...sorta tried to...shoot fire at me. I leapt out of the way and ran off.”

“Sorry, one more time?” Sokka doesn’t like the dark, satisfied glint in her eyes.

Aang uncomfortably lifts his head a little and raises his voice. “He attacked me, okay?”

“See! He gets your guard down and then attacks. Same pattern every time!”

Aang nods sadly. “I guess you’re right…”

“But that was a long time ago!” Toph argues. “He’s obviously changed since then. Coming here to try to join us proves it!”

Katara doesn’t respond, instead hopping to the next fault in Zuko’s speech. “And what was all that crazy stuff about setting Appa free? What a liar!” She says, waving her arms about as she paces back and forth across the floor.

“Once again, he  _ wasn’t _ lying!” Toph stands by Sokka, eyes closed as she pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration. 

“Fine! Let’s say he wasn’t--”

Toph grunts. “He  _ wasn’t _ !”

“Then so what? In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn’t add animal cruelty to the list!”

Toph sighs. “Look, you’re only seeing this from one angle. You see someone who hurt you and lied to you, and I get that, but you’re missing the other side of this: he set Appa  _ free _ , he helped Aang at the cost of his  _ own life _ , he tried to live a  _ quiet _ life in Ba Sing Se, and he opened up about himself with you, Katara.”

“So he’s done like, three  _ good _ things,” Katara huffs, halting in her pacing to look at Toph. “It hardly matters, though, when he’s got a history of nothing but bad decisions! The number of times he’s tried to hurt us rather than help us speaks for itself.”

“That’s the thing though,” says Toph, “He’s got a history of bad decisions but he’s trying to change and be better. You’ve given other people a second chance, so why not Zuko? Remember that Jet guy? You gave him a second chance.”

Katara shakes her head and waves a finger at the blind earthbender. “That’s different!” Sokka can see the unshed tears in her eyes at the thought of the freedom fighter. It’s still a fresh wound despite their complicated history. 

“Actually, I think Toph makes a good argument,” he interrupts. “Jet had a rough childhood. He was orphaned after seeing his village destroyed and his parents killed. It made him hate everyone in the Fire Nation whether they deserved it or not. He was violent and angry because it was all he’d ever known. It wasn’t until he came to Ba Sing Se that he tried to change. Zuko’s a lot like that.”

“Exactly!” Toph says with an emphatic wave of her hands in Sokka’s direction. “All I’m saying is that given his super messed up family and the way he was raised, it’s a miracle Zuko didn’t turn out worse. He was raised like those kids in the Fire Nation school you went to, Aang. He was made to think his people were better than everyone else and to think that firebending was all about power and anger. His uncle has been trying to help him see that he’s wrong and it’s taken him a long time to figure that out, but it seems like he finally has.”  _ Has she been taking Avatar classes, or has she always been this intuitive and merely hiding it?  _ Sokka’s impressed. For a stubborn, hotheaded little earthbender, she’s being really thoughtful and logical about this. Katara and Aang are the ones being ruled by their hearts and not their heads.

“Oh, you know what? You’re right, Toph,” Katara caustically replies. “Let’s go find him and bring him back so we can give him a medal. The  _ ‘Not As Much of a Jerk As You Could’ve Been’ _ Award!”

“Katara...” Sokka says, holding up his hands to try to get her to pause and think. He takes a step toward her. “I really think Toph has a point here.” 

“Why aren’t you on our side with this?” She demands, gesturing to herself and Aang.

Oof. That’s a tough question. “I dunno. I guess...I guess I want to believe Zuko’s uncle was right about there being good in him. I didn’t want to trust him after he mentioned Combustion Man, but Toph’s right: we need a teacher for Aang and Zuko’s our best option. I think we should give him a second chance.”

“ _ Unbelievable _ !” Katara yells, throwing her hands up in disgust.

Sokka looks to Aang, who isn’t saying a word in favor of listening to each side’s argument but seems to be bearing Katara’s view with greater deference. He looks at Toph, who folds her arms and steps in. “I think you’re letting your hurt feelings get in the way of you thinking clearly.”

“You think  _ I’m _ not thinking clearly?” Katara nearly shrieks. “What about you? How is it you’re even  _ trying _ to defend him!”

“Because, _ Katara _ ,” Toph says, stomping her foot down. The ground rumbles faintly. “You’re ignoring the most  _ crucial _ fact here: Aang needs a firebending teacher!” she marches over to Aang and jabs a finger at his chest several times, causing him to wince, to prove her point. “We can’t think of a  _ single _ person in the  _ world _ to do the job,” she says, beginning to pace between them, “but when one shows up and literally kneels at your feet  _ begging _ to do it, you won’t even  _ think _ about it?” She points an accusing finger over at Katara as she stomps her foot once more. A little cloud of dust floats down from the rocks above. 

Appearing only slightly taken aback, Katara stills, contemplating Toph’s tirade.

Aang’s expression sets, and Sokka can tell he’s arrived at a final decision. “I’m not having Zuko as my teacher.” With an air of finality, Aang grabs his staff and walks off. Sokka presumes he might go for another flight to cool his head.

“Well,” says Katara, folding her arms with a smug look on her face. “I guess that’s settled.”

Toph grits her teeth and stomps the ground again. “I’m beginning to wonder who’s  _ really _ the blind one around here!” With that, she angrily stalks off presumably to go throw some rocks somewhere.

Katara walks off in a huff, too, and Sokka’s left awkwardly standing there by himself wondering what to do now.

That’s when he remembers his sister mentioning almost using the spirit water on Zuko. If Zuko knew about the spirit water, then he knew Aang might’ve lived after Azula shot him with lightning. In that case, he once again intentionally tried to harm Aang and the rest of them by hiring a freaking assassin and it was a recent attempt. It lends a lot of doubt to the theory that Zuko’s changed.

But they need a teacher for Aang and Toph is right about second chances. He also can’t stop hearing Iroh’s voice in his head telling him that his nephew has a good heart but he’s just lost. The fact that Zuko’s done so many contradictory things, like he’s teetering over a line, does prove that. 

Toph also made a good point about how Zuko was raised. He’s fighting a lifetime of indoctrination, neglect, and abuse. He lost his mother, he had a psycho sister and an evil dad who burned and banished him, he was brainwashed in school, and taught that anger should fuel his firebending. It really is a miracle he didn’t turn out worse. It’s no wonder he’s struggled with doing the right thing.

Still, Sokka’s gotta hear Zuko’s explanation for himself. He needs to know why they should trust him when he sent an assassin after them just a few weeks ago. What changed?

* * *

After determining that Katara, Aang, and Toph are all away blowing off steam from the disagreement earlier, Sokka figures it’s safe enough to sneak away and talk to Zuko. He’s probably camping somewhere nearby and with his tracking skills, Sokka’s sure he can find him in no time. Just in case something happens, he takes along his boomerang and sword and heads out. With a little hunting around, he finds a path that leads to the woods above. A quarter of the way up or so, he hears something behind him and pauses, boomerang at the ready. When he looks around, no one is in sight. As he turns around, a rock wall bursts out of the ground to block his path.

Sokka sighs, annoyed. “I really hate when you do that,” he groans, turning around to address Toph. She stands several feet behind him on the long staircase that zigzags through the temple buildings and rocks up to the forest.

Toph gives him her trademark crooked grin and makes her way up to him. “I know.” Sokka grumbles some more. “Goin’ to see Zuko, huh?”

He looks at her. “How’d you know?”

“I figured it was either that or hunting, but you seemed pretty torn earlier about what to do about Hot Pants there and I wanted to talk to him, too.”

“Really?” She nods. “Also,  _ Hot Pants _ ?” he raises a brow at her.

Toph shrugs. “Yeah, it’s good but not good enough. I’ll keep thinkin’.”

“Thinking of what?”

“A nickname, stupid.” She gives him a jab in the side with her elbow for his apparent lack of wit. He hisses and rubs the spot as they climb.

“Oh,” he intelligently replies. They continue in silence for a while until, at last, they’re at the top of the stairs and face the thick woods before them.

“I know where he is. This way,” says Toph, yanking him none-too-gently toward the right. With her guiding him, though, they find Zuko in minutes. He’s made camp not far at all from the temple. If he was trying to hide from them, he did a terrible job of it. It gives him a little hope that perhaps he and Toph are right to visit him. 

It’s twilight now, the lighting poor already and only worse once they surround themselves in the woods. Toph navigates the uneven ground easily, but Sokka finds himself tripping over roots frequently. His friend finds it all too hilarious every time.

When they’re close enough, Toph calls out to him.

“Who’s there?” They emerge through the trees as Zuko turns wildly about, trying to detect where the voice is coming from. He’s in a fighting stance, knees bent and fists raised.

“It’s Sokka and Toph. We’re here to talk!” Sokka emerges from the bushes first, hands raised in a gesture of peace. Toph follows behind him.

Zuko looks appropriately mystified. “What are you doing here? I thought you said I could never join you?”

“Hey,  _ I _ never said that,” says Toph, raising her hands. 

“I’ve reconsidered. But there’s something I wanted to ask you about, first.”

“Anything,” Zuko says a tad too desperately.

“You returned to the Fire Nation knowing Aang could’ve lived because you knew about the spirit water my sister had. Why should we believe you’ve changed when you  _ just _ sent an assassin after us?”

Zuko sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looks annoyed, but not with them. He’s annoyed with himself. “I’m such an idiot,” he mutters, but he and Toph still catch it. Toph sniggers. When he looks back up at them, Zuko has a tired look on his face. “I should’ve joined my uncle back in Ba Sing Se, but...but Azula mentioned how I’d be welcomed back home as a hero if I took down the Avatar and helped her capture Ba Sing Se. I still wanted to restore my honor in the eyes of my father. I thought I still could. It wasn’t until I returned home that I realized I changed. I would visit my uncle in prison and he was just so disappointed in me. He must hate me by now…”

“I doubt that,” Sokka finds himself saying compassionately.

Zuko smiles sadly at him. “I betrayed him, Sokka. Even for uncle, that’s a hard thing to forgive.”

Toph shakes her head. “I don’t think he’ll ever give up on you.”

“Thanks, but...I’m not sure I’ll ever find out if he has. I don't know where he’s gone.” He sighs again --did he pick that up from his mopey girlfriend with the knives?-- and continues. “Anyways, I came home and realized home wasn’t everything I remembered it to be. While I was away, I met people and saw things that made me realize everything I was taught was wrong. But I was still so desperate for my father’s approval that when Azula made it plain that she knew Aang could’ve survived and that I would be ruined if anyone found out, I hired the assassin. I was still struggling so much with who I was and what I wanted--” he freezes, looking between the two of them with rising panic in his eyes. He takes a deep breath, slumps down on a nearby stump, and cradles his head in his hands for a moment. Sokka looks over at Toph who looks equally unsure of what to do here --what’s the social etiquette for comforting an almost former-enemy when he’s trying to convince you he’s trustworthy?

After a long, awkward silence, Zuko lifts his head. “For a long time, I felt like I was living two lives and I couldn’t decide which one I wanted so I was trying to protect them both. I tried to keep my relationship with my uncle by visiting him in prison but I also tried to keep my relationship with my father by sending the assassin after you all. To be honest, I made up my mind only shortly before the eclipse. I confronted my father during it and told him I was leaving to join you and help Aang.” Averting their gaze, Zuko adds, “He tried to kill me with a bolt of lightning.”

Well shit.

Zuko hangs his head. This next part he says quietly, “I have nowhere left to go but with you.”

With his confession complete, Zuko lets it settle in the air between them for a while. That’s good, ‘cause Sokka definitely needs some time to process this. He’s still kinda stuck on the part where Zuko admitted his father tried to kill him. Whatever fears he has about his relationship with his own father pale in comparison to this. He knows that no matter what his dad may feel about the truth of his parentage, he would never try to hurt Sokka let alone kill him. 

He knew Ozai was awful, but he never realized just how awful. To try to kill his own son…

“I’m sorry, Zuko.”

Zuko shuffles his feet. “Uh...thanks.”

“Wait, you said he tried to kill you with lightning...did he miss?”

Toph brings up a good question. How did he survive? Sokka doubts Ozai would’ve missed.

Scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, Zuko gazes at his feet as he answers, “I sorta...redirected it.”

“What do you mean you ‘redirected’ it?” Asks Sokka.

“My uncle taught me. Basically, I let him strike me but then I channeled the lightning through me and out.”

Toph grins like a hyena-coon. “Awesome.”

Sokka stares at him with a newfound level of both respect and fear. “That’s incredible.”

Zuko shakes his head. “It’s incredibly dangerous and I nearly killed myself doing it.”

“That’s...less incredible.”

An awkward moment of silence passes between them. “So,” Zuko begins, glancing between them both apprehensively. “Did I answer your question? Can you forgive me for sending that assassin after you? Will you trust me enough to let me join your group?”

“You’ve got my vote,” Toph answers without missing a beat.

Sokka thinks about it for a moment, reviewing everything he knows about Zuko and what the prince himself has said. “I think you seem genuinely remorseful for what you did--”

Zuko takes a step forward, placing a hand over his heart. “I am. Believe me, I regret it more than anything!”

Sokka puts up a hand to stop him. “It’s okay. I believe you. You’ve got my vote, too. But we’ve still gotta convince Aang and Katara and  _ that _ is gonna be a little trickier.” 

The firebender makes a face, probably at the thought of having to face an angry, spiteful Katara again. Sokka can’t say he blames him.

“C’mon,” says Toph, grabbing both of them by the crooks of their elbows and leading them back toward the temple. “No use waiting.”

* * *

Apparently Zuko knows a shortcut back to the temple, so he winds up leading them back to camp. They’re somewhere above camp and Sokka can hear Haru trying to make conversation with a still brooding Katara when he spots something --no, someone-- on the other side of the canyon.

“Is that--” he starts to ask, pointing at the figure, when a thunderous sound echoes through the canyon. There’s a flash of light, a tremble in the earth beneath their feet, and a plume of smoke down by the camp. He hears another rumble and the ground shakes again, presumably from a large piece of the temple collapsing. “Katara!” He cranes his neck to try to get a view of the others, but it’s no use. They’re just not at the right angle.

Sokka looks sharply over at Zuko, knowing exactly who it is that’s now attacking their campsite.

“It’s Combustion Man, he’s back!” Toph shouts.

_ Smack! _ Zuko slaps a hand over his face and groans. “Why does the universe hate me?”

“Hey, that’s my line!” Sokka indignantly cries. “But right now the important thing is:  _ why. Is he. Here _ ?! How did he find us?! Did you lead him here? Did he track you?” He jabs an accusing finger at Zuko.

The prince raises his hands and shakes his head vehemently. “No, I swear I didn’t! But--shit, I never terminated the contract! He must think the bounty’s still on!”

“You never--?!” Sokka sputters, waving his hands. “C’mon, Zuko!”

“If that’s the case, then what are you waiting for, you dunderhead? Go cancel it! Tell him to scram, deal’s off!” Toph says, knocking Zuko in the side with an elbow.

“Ow!” Zuko winces. “Okay, okay, I’m going! Just as soon as I figure out how I’m getting over this canyon.” he says, looking out at the vast, misty space between them and Combustion Man as he fires again.

The ground rumbles and Toph jabs Zuko again in the side. “Hellooooo! Greatest earthbender in the world over here! All ya gotta do is say, ‘please!’”

Zuko blushes. “Right. Um, could you, y’know…” he gestures dumbly at the canyon. “Please?”

Toph grins. “Sure thing, buddy.” She stretches her arms, knots her fingers together and cracks her hands, then claps. As a third blast shakes the ground beneath them, Toph spreads her legs into her earthbending stance and raises her hands. Sokka watches with outright fascination as rocks from the canyon below float up and out, creating a narrow but sturdy rock bridge across the canyon for Zuko to cut across.

“You two go help your friends, I’ll take care of…” He pauses, rolls his eyes, and then begrudgingly says, “‘Combustion Man.’”

Sokka triumphantly smiles at having gotten Zuko to say his nickname for the assassin before nodding. “Don’t worry. Attacks on our camp are routine for us at this point,” he says with a wave of his hand.

“Hurry up and stop him before he brings this whole place down,” Toph orders, shoving Zuko toward her newly crafted bridge.

The firebender nods and hurries across Toph’s bridge as quickly as Sokka presumes he’s comfortable with which is, frankly, pretty surprisingly quick! He’s just glad it isn’t him going across it. The thought alone makes him a little queasy.

* * *

He and Toph arrive back at camp in time to find Aang and Katara ducking behind a couple of pillars and the others hiding behind a wall further back. Dodging explosions, they join the pair to figure out a plan of attack.

“Where have you two been?!” Katara demands.

Sokka looks over at Toph and she shrugs in response, more or less saying “Don’t look at me!” She’s got the right idea to stay out of sibling squabbles. Because yeah, this is gonna be a squabble once she finds out that he’s been talking to Zuko and brought him back to camp.

“Nevermind, we’ll talk about it later!” His sister shouts over the cacophony of another blast.

“I can’t get an angle on him without risking getting blown up!” Aang frustratedly tells them.

“Me, neither,” Katara says.

“Where’s Zuko?” Toph hisses at Sokka. He shrugs. Boy would he like to know.

“Wait, you said you can’t get an angle?” Sokka asks, looking back at Aang and Katara. This time he’s the one to grin like a hyena-coon. “I know a way we can get one.” With that, he yanks his trusty boomerang out.

He peeks around the pillar to see where Combustion Man is, but another blast makes him duck behind the pillar again.

“Stop!” he hears a familiar voice echoing across the canyon. Sokka peeks around for just a moment to see Zuko finally approaching the assassin. “I order you to stop! I’m calling the job off! I  _ don’t _ want you to kill the Avatar anymore! Stop!  _ Stop! _ ”

Sokka sees Zuko trying to tackle the assassin, but he’s ridiculously small compared to Combustion Man. The man doesn’t budge, and it’s almost comical how Zuko begins to flail his limbs as he tries and fails to shove the man aside.

“I’m the crown prince! You have to listen to me!” When that doesn’t work, he tries another tactic. “I’ll still pay you!” Combustion Man fires again, and Sokka cringes. That shot was close. He can hear his ears ringing a little. “Fine! I’ll pay you  _ double _ to  _ stop _ !” Another blast. Sokka feels some dusty debris rain down on him.

“What are you waiting for?” Katara hisses at him. “You want this whole place to drop out of the sky?”

Sokka ignores her, watching anxiously as Zuko continues to try to stop the Combustion Man.

“What are you doing?! Why won’t you listen to me?!” he hears Zuko angrily shout. Sokka thinks, by some miracle, that Combustion Man actually answers him, but he doesn’t hear him. Whatever he says, though, makes Zuko step back and change tactics once more. Zuko backs up and then rams into him right as he fires again. Instead of hitting Aang as he attempts to counter Combustion Man’s attacks while he’s distracted by Zuko, his shot fires harmlessly off into the cliffside.

The assassin knocks Zuko to the ground and takes aim again. “I won’t let you hurt them!” Zuko shouts as he hurls flames at Combustion Man, successfully blocking another attack. Even from this distance, Sokka can see the annoyed look on the larger man’s face at being foiled yet again. Having apparently lost his patience with the metaphorically fly buzzing around him, Combustion Man breathes in, aims, and fires at Zuko. 

Sokka watches in shock and horror as the firebender deflects the hit but still goes flying backward and over the cliff’s edge. “Zuko!” he hears himself crying out. He imagines Katara is horrified by the note of worry in his voice for their supposed arch-enemy.

It takes him a long moment to find where Zuko has gone. In that moment, he wonders just what they’ll do if he’s dead. Who’ll teach Aang? But to his amazement and relief, Zuko is alive and hanging off the ledge of one of the lower tiers of the temple down below Combustion Man.

“Sokka, now’s your chance!” Aang calls out to him. That and another blast from Combustion Man brings him back to attention.

“Okay, okay, I’m on it!” he assures them all. He peeks out once more from behind the pillar as Combustion Man fires again.Using his boomerang, Sokka traces the trajectory of the blast from the ground back to its source. “Gotcha.” With a deep breath and a small prayer to any Spirits that are listening, Sokka reels his arm back and hurls his boomerang off into the air. He hears it whistling through the air and steps out from behind the pillar to watch and see if it collides with its target.

Sokka cries out with glee as Boomerang smacks Combustion Man right in the head, making him careen backwards and barely manage to stay on his feet. Boomerang comes whizzing back and Sokka leaps into the air to catch it. “Yeah, Boomerang!” he victoriously cries. Combustion Man attempts to fire again and Sokka starts back toward the protective cover of the pillar, but halts when no blast comes. When the assassin tries again, there’s a few popping and sizzling noises and then, to Sokka’s astonishment, there’s a loud explosion.

“Oh shi--!” Sokka does take cover this time. He hears the crumbling of the cliffside where Combustion Man stood. Furtively, he glances out to see what’s becoming of their attacker and sees a whole turret of the temple is gone and so is Combustion Man.

“Did you get him?” Aang asks as he slowly steps out from behind his pillar. The others follow suit.

“I think he’s...I think he’s dead,” Sokka says almost disbelievingly.

“What about Zuko?” Toph asks, and Sokka’s head snaps back to the other side of the cliff to see if the firebender is still where Sokka last saw him.

“He was just right--” He pauses, blood running cold as he sees an empty cliffside where Zuko should’ve been. “No...Did I…? Did I accidentally kill Zuko?” he grasps his head and stares at the cliffside in horror. 

“Sokka, stop! You didn’t. He just fell down a little further,” Aang tells him, trying to peel Sokka’s hand away from his face and calm him down.

“Wait, really?” Sure enough, when he looks a little further down, he can see Zuko getting to his feet and dusting himself off. “Oh, thank Yue!” he says, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, what a relief,” Katara deadpans.

“Seriously? He nearly died trying to save us and you’re still gonna give him the cold shoulder?” Toph complains. “What’s the guy gotta do to earn your forgiveness?”

“Nothing. I’m not going to forgive him. Ever. He’s done too much. Hurt us too many times.”

“C’mon, Katara…” Sokka begins, but she holds up a hand and her face clearly indicates that he should shut his mouth or she’ll shut it for him.

Aang steps forward, looking out across the mist and over at Zuko. “Maybe we  _ should _ give him a chance.”

Toph and Sokka smile. “That’s the Avatar I know,” says Toph.

Sokka looks over at Zuko and waves a hand, wordlessly telling him to come back over. Zuko frowns back at him, as if to say,  _ “Really? You can’t even meet me halfway or something? I just nearly died for you!” _

Sokka shrugs apologetically. It’s not like there are really any better ideas.

* * *

“I can’t believe I’m saying this…” says Aang, head bowed low, “but thanks, Zuko.”

“What about me? And Boomerang?” Sokka holds up the weapon and points between them both.

“Oh, yeah,” Aang says absently. “Thanks, Sokka; Sokka’s boomerang.”

“Well it’s too late now. We know you didn’t really mean it,” Sokka pouts. Toph giggles at him. Sokka eyes her spitefully. 

Zuko clears his throat, bringing the attention back to him. He takes a step forward. “Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday. I've been through a lot in the past few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right.” Listening to Zuko’s speech, Sokka can’t help but think his uncle would be so proud of him right now. He hopes Zuko realizes that.

“All I want now is to play my part in ending this war. And I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world.”

Sokka looks to Aang and Katara to gauge their reactions. Katara’s still scowling at him, but Aang’s expression softens into one of understanding and perhaps even forgiveness.

Zuko looks up at Aang. “Growing up, I was a slow learner when it came to firebending. We were taught to fuel our bending with rage. If you can believe it, I wasn’t always such an angry person and I struggled because of that. It wasn’t until after my mother left that I finally found that rage. I’ve been using it for years since, but only recently realized that that’s not the right way to firebend. Firebending is about breathing and control, not anger. Fire is dangerous and wild and can easily get the best of you if you’re not careful. Anger only increases those chances. I’m tired of hurting people either intentionally or unintentionally. It’s time I start refocusing my firebending and learning how to control it so I don’t hurt anyone else.”

Aang averts his eyes to the floor for a moment, deep in thought. Finally, he looks back up at Zuko with resolve. “I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara. And after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love.” He bows. “I’d like you to teach me.”

Zuko smiles, and boy is that a weird sight. Sokka’s used to him doing nothing but scowling. He bows back at Aang. “Thank you. You have no idea how glad I am that you’ve accepted me into your group.”

“Not so fast,” says Aang, causing Zuko to straighten up and stare wide-eyed at him. Sokka’s head snaps toward Aang, too. “I still have to ask my friends if it’s okay with them.” He turns toward Sokka and the others. “Toph?”

“You already know what I think,” says Toph, folding her arms over her chest with a nonchalant shrug.

“Sokka?”

Sokka glances over at Zuko. “I think he deserves a second chance. I think he really has changed.”

The air seems to thicken as Aang turns to Katara. “Katara? What do you think?”

Katara folds her arms across her chest and glares at Zuko. Sokka sees sweat beading across his forehead and rolling down his face as he waits anxiously for her answer. Katara huffs, closing her eyes as she turns away from Zuko. “If you  _ really _ think it’s wise, then fine. I’ll go along with whatever  _ you _ think.”

Aang smiles even though Katara can’t see it. “Well, I guess it’s settled then. Welcome to the group, Zuko,” Aang says with a hint of awkwardness. Sokka figures things are gonna be pretty awkward between them all for a while after how long they were enemies for.

Zuko beams at them. It’s weird. “I won’t let you down, I promise!”

Katara wordlessly turns and walks away. Aang rubs the back of his head, standing there awkwardly for a moment before deciding walking away is the best course of action.

“Welcome to the group, Sparky,” Toph says, punching Zuko in the shoulder with a grin on her face.

“Ow! Why do you keep punching me?” Zuko whines as he rubs the tender spot.

“It’s how she shows affection...supposedly,” replies Sokka.

“For everyone else. With you I just do it for fun,” Toph counters, punctuating her words with a punch to Sokka’s shoulder.

“Ow!” If he weren’t in pain, he’d laugh at how he and Zuko are two teenage boys who are at least two or three heads taller than Toph rubbing the bruises-to-be on their arms. “Oh, c’mon, Toph! You know you love me!”

“Keep tellin’ yourself that,” says Toph, ducking her head to shield her face from him. Weird.

“So um...where is everybody staying? I’ve got my sleeping bag and everything back at my camp,” says Zuko, pointing upward to where his camp is.

“You go get your things and when you come back, I’ll show you your room. How’s that?” Sokka offers.

Zuko smiles. Seriously, it’s weird, but it’s also really nice. The more he does it, the less Sokka sees a villain and the more he sees an ally and, dare he think it, a friend. “Sounds great.”

“I think that gives us just enough time for some blind combat training!” Toph says with a mischievous grin.

Sokka’s eyes widen with fear. “Y’know, I’ve been thinking...maybe I don’t wanna learn to do that thing Piandao did so bad…” That’s a lie. He still  _ absolutely _ wants to learn. He just doesn’t like learning with Toph. Learning with Toph  _ hurts _ .

“Quit your bellyaching and go fetch your blindfold, Sparkles.”

“I think I preferred it when you called me ‘Meathead,’” Sokka sadly moans as he shuffles away to grab said blindfold.

“Blind combat training?” he hears Zuko ask. 

“I’d be happy to take on another pupil if you’re interested.” Sokka can hear the predatorial edge in her voice. He can see the evil little grin on her face in his head. She’s sadistic!

“Maybe I’ll uh...sit in on a lesson or two first…” Zuko tells her nervously. “I better get going, though. Better get back here before the sun sets.”

“Quit dawdling, Sparkles and get back out here!” Toph shouts. 

Sokka quickens his pace on his way to his room as he ponders how a twelve-year-old became the boss of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, lemme know what you think! Thanks so much and stay safe, healthy, and happy!
> 
> Next chapter should be good to go for next week as scheduled.


	19. The Firebending Masters: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Zuko loses his firebending, Toph suggests going back to the original source of firebending to regain it. In addition to Aang, however, he asks Sokka to tag along, too. But it seems the ruins of the Sun Warriors' ancient city aren't quite as eager to yield its secrets as they were hoping...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh God, I'm sorry for the long wait! I got bogged down with summer vacation and starting a TEFL class and just...life. Also, I admittedly struggled with writing this chapter for a while. I've worked out what I want to do with the rest of this episode, but because it was already getting pretty long halfway through, I decided to separate it into 2 parts as you might have noticed in the title.
> 
> I FINALLY went back and responded to reviews. I didn't realize I haven't responded since like chapter 15 or 16, so I had more to go through than expected, but it was worth it. I just gotta show my appreciation for your readership and your wonderful, kind, thoughtful responses! You guys make writing this worthwhile, truly.
> 
> So, without further adieu, I introduce to you Indiana Aang and the--I mean, The Firebending Masters: Part 1!

Munching on a fresh, crisp apple, Sokka lazily makes his way to the temple courtyard on the lower tier where Toph mentioned Aang and Zuko were practicing. 

“How goes the _jerk_ bending, _jerk_ benders?” he casually asks as he plops down on a broken column to watch them. Aang seems to be sitting on a large rock and watching Zuko demonstrate something.

Both their heads turn in his direction. “Hey, you’re a jerkbender, _too_!” Aang shoots back.

Sokka throws his head back and laughs. “Ha! So you admit it! You’re a jerkbender!” Tears of laughter brim at his eyelids and Sokka wipes them away as his laughter subsides. “Oh, I crack myself up,” he says breathlessly. He chucks the remainder of his apple behind him into a bush somewhere. Probably.

“Why would you answer that?!” Zuko scolds. 

Aang shrivels up a little. “Sorry, Sifu Hotman.”

“How many times do I have to tell you _not_ to call me that?” Zuko yells.

Sokka makes a “lower the volume down, would you?” gesture. “Easy, there, Mister Hotpants. No need to yell so much.”

Zuko growls at him. “If you’re not gonna join us or at least be helpful, then leave!”

“Is there any way I _can_?” He asks, at least somewhat seriously.

Aang looks at Zuko expectantly, like there legitimately _is_ a problem Sokka might know how to help with. Zuko huffs. “No.”

“Actually--” begins Aang, but Zuko is quick to shush him.

Sokka raises a brow, suspicious now. “Is there something wrong?”

“Zuko--” Aang starts once more, but Zuko shushes him again. He’s softer about it this time.

“It’s okay. I’ll explain.” With a sigh, he reluctantly turns to Sokka. “I’m having trouble firebending.”

“Is it...the altitude maybe?” Sokka wonders, gesturing at the clouds beyond them. 

Zuko shakes his head. “We came down here because Aang already thought of that. It’s still not working, though. Can you...can you firebend?”

Sokka pales. “Me? What? No, I can’t--I’m not really--”

Zuko makes a pleading look that he finds hard to ignore. “Can you just give it a try?” he asks gently. He’s trying to sound encouraging and even if he’s a part of the group now, it’s still weird. 

“I--” He looks over at Aang, a ball of excitement and encouragement. He’s literally gripping the edge of his seat waiting to see him firebend. “I suppose I can try…”

“I’m sure my uncle already taught you this, but just remember: breathe and then strike.”

Sokka parrots his words nervously as he steps up and gives it a go. Sure enough, flames burst forth and lick the air several feet ahead of him. 

“Sokka, that was amazing!” cries Aang, rocking back in his seat and throwing up his hands.

Zuko lets out a frustrated cry. “Ugh! What’s the matter with me?!”

Sokka steps back, a little disconcerted by the other boy’s response to his display.

Realizing he’s being just a tad dramatic and freaking both Sokka and Aang out, Zuko turns to them and apologizes. “I’m sorry, it’s just...Sokka being able to firebend confirms it: I’ve lost my stuff.” Looking utterly defeated, Zuko flops onto a bench behind him and puts his head in his hands.

“Wait, what? You can’t just _lose_ your bending!” Realizing he’s not really qualified to make such an assumption, he turns to Aang. “He can’t just lose his bending, _can he_?”

Aang shrugs. “I don’t know. I-I don’t think so…”

Zuko shakes his head. “Maybe ‘lost’ is the wrong word. It’s still there, I can feel it, but it’s weaker.”

Suddenly, Sokka recalls Zuko’s speech the other day. “What about what you said yesterday?” The firebender looks at him with a raised brow. “About firebending and anger. You said you weren’t very good when you were younger because you weren’t angry enough. When you finally did and you were obsessed with hunting us and capturing Aang,” he says, gesturing to the airbender, “You didn’t have a problem. Honestly, you were _too_ angry. You were literally nothing _but_ angry.”

Aang and Zuko glance at each other. “Maybe Sokka’s got a point,” says Aang.

“Yeah,” Zuko slowly agrees, hand on his chin and deep in thought, “I’m not angry like that anymore. Maybe that’s the problem.”

“So you need something else to fuel your firebending,” Sokka concludes.

“That must be it!” Aang says hopefully. “But wait.” His smile morphs into a frown. “How do you learn to firebend again?”

“I don’t know,” Zuko sighs, “I thought if I just focused on breathing that it would be enough. Firebending is all about breathing, after all.”

Sokka steps forward hesitantly. “I’m not sure if this helps, but your uncle told me that I had to remember to breathe, but also that I had to be focused, relaxed, and to believe in myself.”

Zuko graces him with a sad but appreciative smile. “I appreciate your trying to help, Sokka, but I don’t think that’s going to cut it. I think I need to go deeper somehow.”

* * *

“Listen up, everybody,” Zuko says later that day during dinner. All eyes go to him, and Sokka can’t help but roll his eyes and laugh to himself about how melodramatic the guy is being. “I’ve got some pretty bad news.” He pauses just long enough to see that he’s got their attention --and perhaps just to build a little tension. “I’ve lost my stuff.” He bows his head, so he misses the stunned looks on everyone’s faces. Well, almost everyone’s.

“Don’t look at me!” says Toph, raising her arms innocently. “I didn’t touch your stuff!” She folds her arms as she grows defensive.

Zuko looks at her in confusion. “What? No. I’m talking about my firebending. It’s gone.”

A vindictive laugh rings out through the air and everyone turns unexpectedly toward Katara. Sokka’s never heard quite such a sound from her before and it makes the hairs on his neck stand up. It’s so cold and malicious and unlike Katara it’s frightening.

Zuko pointedly glares at her. 

Realizing they’re all staring at her, Katara composes herself. “I’m sorry, I’m just laughing at the irony. You know...how it would’ve been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago?”

Zuko parrots Toph’s earlier stance, folding his arms across his chest. “Well, it’s not lost. It’s just weaker.”

Katara takes a sip from her bowl of soup. The light from the fire hits her eyes in a way that steals away the warmth and compassion that one might normally find there. With an unforgiving stare, Katara chuckles. “Maybe you’re just not as good as you _think_ you are.”

Toph lets out a low whistle. “Ouch.” 

“Katara…” Aang murmurs, looking unsettled by her, as well.

“ _Awkward_!” Sokka hears Haru whisper to Teo.

Ignoring her, Zuko begins to think aloud. He glances to Aang and Sokka. “I’ve been thinking about this all day since our training. I think it’s about more than just not having the rage to fuel it anymore. I bet it’s because I’ve changed sides.”

“Well that’s ridiculous,” Katara snorts derisively in between bites of rice.

“So what does that mean?” asks Haru.

“You’re gonna need to learn to draw your firebending from a different source,” says Toph, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. I recommend the _original_ source.” She shoves a ball of rice in her mouth as if to accentuate the point in some strange Toph-ish way.

“And how’s he supposed to do that?” Sokka asks. “By jumping into a volcano?”

Toph swallows. “No. Zuko needs to go back to whatever the original source of firebending is.”

Sokka blinks. “So...is it jumping into a volcano?”

Toph sighs, probably wondering how she wound up traveling with an idiot like him. “I don’t know.” She shrugs. “For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles.”

“Oh yeah, they were how those crazy nomads and I got out of the caves in Omashu.” Every time he thinks of that day, he swears he can still feel a phantom pain in his forehead from where he smacked himself repeatedly in annoyance with Chong and his companions.

Toph is understandably confused. Sokka makes a mental note to tell her about Chong later. He feels like she would actually understand his pain unlike Aang and Katara who had happily jammed along with their stupid music. “Anyway, one day when I was little, I ran away. I hid in a cave, not really knowing where I was but thinking it was better than home when they came along.

“At first I was scared, thinking they were gonna hurt me, but then I realized they were blind, just like me. We understood each other. I followed them around the caves and that’s how I learned earthbending not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earthbenders, it wasn’t about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the world.”

“Have I ever mentioned how badass you are?” Sokka finds himself saying in awe.

Toph smirks. “You could stand to mention it more often. I don’t mind.”

“That’s amazing, Toph,” Aang says, a similar expression of respect and awe on his face. “I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the sky bison.” He fondly looks over at the huge mural on the far wall of three sky bisons floating in a circle amongst the clouds. He smiles, then turns to Appa sitting nearby and contentedly gnawing on a great pile of hay. “Maybe you could give me a lesson some time, buddy!” Appa growls a response that Sokka takes to mean, “yeah, sure, why not?”

Zuko doesn’t seem as delighted by this news as Sokka thought he would be. In fact, he seems more dejected than before. “Well, that doesn’t help me,” he grumbles. “The original firebenders were the dragons and they’re extinct.”

Aang scrunches his face in confusion. “What do you mean? Roku had a dragon, and there were plenty of dragons around when I was a kid!”

Sokka stews on that in disbelief for a moment. He imagines living in a world before the war with airbenders, sky bison, dragons, and peace between the nations. It sounds like a fairytale. It was only a hundred years ago, but it might as well have been another world altogether given that no one around remembers it but Aang. And it all sounds so different and unlike the world he knows.

Frankly, he doesn’t get how Aang doesn’t have a greater sense of whiplash from waking up to such a different world.

Something about what Aang says triggers Zuko’s angry, defensive side, though. “Well they’re not around anymore, okay? So just drop it.”

Sokka eyes him with an equal amount of concern and interest. Why is he so worked up about this? What is he hiding? He knows something about the lack of dragons.

Aang raises his hands apologetically. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Zuko takes a deep breath. Sokka can see the anger leave him as he lets it out. He stands, walking toward the fountain nearby. He imagines it was once a stunning piece of architecture and quite soothing, perhaps even a spot the sky bison went to to bathe or drink. Now, it’s been worn by the years of neglect and Combustion Man’s recent attack. There are cracks in the spout above and chunks of its curved, bell-like shape missing. “Maybe there’s another way.”

Aang perks up. 

“The first people to learn from the dragons, the first human firebenders, were the ancient Sun Warriors.”

Aang and Sokka exchange vacant looks. The name doesn’t ring a bell. “Yeah, they _definitely_ weren’t around when I was a kid,” says Aang, and Sokka kinda wants to swat him because he still is a kid. He’s only _twelve_ for Spirits’ sake! But with a hundred years in an iceberg and the fate of the world on your shoulders, he supposes Aang seldom remembers that. Sokka often forgets he’s only sixteen and that while that makes him a man in the eyes of his tribe, he knows he’s still very much a kid with lots of growing still to do. His failed invasion plan taught him that.

“No, they weren’t,” Zuko regretfully replies. “They died off thousands of years ago.” He’s angry and guilty. Like he feels it’s partly his fault that this civilization no longer exists.

“Were they a literate society?” asks Sokka. “Did they write scrolls or something like the one Katara found months ago? Maybe we could track those down and study those.” Wait, why is he saying we? It’s just ‘cause he’s talking about them as a team, right? Yeah, nothing more than that.

“No, they didn’t leave anything. At least nothing that survived,” Zuko answers.

Sokka frowns, thinking a little harder. “Well are there any ruins we could check out? Maybe there’s something there we could find. Architecture often hides a lot of special details about a culture.”

“Now _that_ just might work,” says Zuko with a hint of hope. Sokka grins. “Their civilization wasn’t too far from here,” he says, expression brightening. “We _could_ learn something by poking around the ruins.”

Sokka pumps a fist into the air. “Sokka the Genius strikes again!”

“No one calls you that,” Katara shoots back in a tone that actually sounds more like her for once.

Sokka shoots her a look that says, “how dare you?” and she giggles, hiding her amusement behind her hand.

“Doesn’t have the same ring to it as _Meathead_ ,” says Toph.

“Or _Snoozles_ ,” says Aang with a snort.

“Or _Sparkles_.” 

Sokka’s expression darkens with betrayal with each one.

“Or _Captain Boomerang_!” says Aang.

“Now _that one_ I don’t mind,” says Sokka, pointing at Aang.

“Don’t forget _Ponytail_!” Katara chimes in, and Sokka glares at her. The betrayal is complete.

Toph groans, flopping backwards onto her back and folding her arms beneath her head. “Is that one of yours? It’s terrible.” 

“Does _Wang Fire_ count?” asks Aang.

Zuko spins around to stare at Sokka incredulously. “ _Wang Fire_?”

Sokka scratches the back of his neck. “My Fire Nation cover name.”

“ _Please_ tell me you’re joking.”

“Unfortunately,” says Toph, “He’s not.”

Aang blushes, chuckling. “When we first got to the Fire Nation, I kinda accidentally enrolled in a Fire Nation school and sorta got myself into trouble because I didn’t get the culture. Sokka and Katara posed as my parents when the head of the school wanted to talk to them.”

Zuko’s face pales. His hand collides with his face with a resounding smack that Sokka is all too familiar with. “How on _earth_ did they buy that?”

Aang shrugs. “I dunno, but I’m glad they did!”

“The more time I spend with you, the more mortified I am that I never managed to catch you sooner.”

Katara barks out a laugh. “Like I said earlier, you’re just not as good as you _think_ you are.”

Sokka side-eyes her, wordlessly pleading with her to let up on the guy already. 

“So, you two gonna go on a little field trip together to these ruins?” Asks Haru, pointing between Zuko and Aang.

“Actually, I was hoping it’d be the _three_ of us,” says Zuko, looking over at Sokka. He tenses.

“Wait, me?” He looks around as if there’s someone else the firebender might be pointing at.

“I think it’d be a good thing for you to come, too. You could help us understand the architecture and stuff, plus maybe you’ll learn something about firebending yourself. Maybe this trip’ll make you more accepting of this side of yourself.”

He does kind of have a point...but Sokka’s not sure if he wants to embrace the firebender side of himself this much. It seems like a big step. He’s not sure he’s ready for it.

Aang jumps up excitedly. “That’s a great idea! You should abso _lutely_ come with us, Sokka!”

“I dunno,” Sokka hesitantly answers. “I’m not sure if…”

Toph puts a hand on his shoulder. Again, his rock. He’s glad she’s here for him. “I think it’s a good idea, too, for what it’s worth. You should go.”

Sokka looks to Katara. She gets up and comes to sit down beside him. “As much as I hate to say it, I think he’s right.” She takes his hand and squeezes it, then gives him a reassuring smile. “I think it could be good for you.” 

He squeezes her hand in return and smiles back. “Thanks, sis.”

“What d’ya say, Sokka?” 

Sokka stands to turn and face Zuko. “Alright, I’m in.”

“Yeah!” Aang cheers, jumping up into the air again. “This is gonna be fun!”

Zuko hits him with a stern Quit the Nonsense look. “It’s not a _vacation_ , it’s a _mission_! This is important!”

“Right,” Aang hastily and sheepishly composes himself. “Right, yeah. It's like the monks used to tell me. Sometimes, the shadows of the past can be felt by the present.”

Zuko sighs, looking ready to smack himself in the face again in annoyance. “Let’s just hope those shadows can teach us something useful, or else the Avatar here is gonna have to find himself another firebending teacher.”

“Yeah, let’s not think about that right now,” Sokka nervously replies. 

* * *

As Appa descends upon the ruins, Sokka can’t help but gasp in awe. “This place is amazing.”

“Yeah,” Aang agrees.

Even Zuko sounds mesmerized by the sight they’re seeing. “I never imagined anything like this. It’s--It’s incredible.”

The ruins lie in a valley surrounded by thick green vegetation that reminds Sokka a little bit of the creepy swamp they got stuck in back in the Earth Kingdom. Aang lands Appa in a vast field of tall grass and reassures his furry friend that they’ll be back as soon as they can. “At least you’ve got plenty of food here,” Aang tells him with an affectionate scratch. Appa hums in appreciation.

They leave him to frolic in the field or nap or whatever it is sky bison do when they have down time --Sokka tries not to laugh as he realizes the unintentional pun about ‘ _sky_ bison’ and ‘ _down_ time’. _Classic me! Gotta remember to tell Toph that one later._

As they walk into the abandoned city, Sokka soaks in the impressive ancient architecture. The buildings are a warm, sandy-colored stone. In some places, there are traces of what were once vibrantly colored images of people, gods, daily life, rituals, and firebending. When the sun hits them at the right angle, Sokka can see that a few buildings have gilded trimmings. Perhaps temples or the homes of wealthy and important people. Everything is squares, rectangles, and triangles; angular shapes with clean lines and sharp edges. 

He tries to imagine what it would look like without the crumbled corners or the worn and chipped paint; without the vines ensnaring the walls and the trees poking out of the roofs and windows. He tries to imagine the streets bustling with priests, merchants, and families. Not that it doesn’t look magnificent even in ruins, but Sokka can only imagine the grandeur of this civilization at its height before the earth began to slowly reclaim it. 

“Even though these buildings are ancient,” Zuko starts to say with thoughtful fascination, “there's something eerily familiar about them. I can tell the Fire Sages' temples are somehow descended from these.”

Sokka takes a closer glance at the buildings and realizes that yeah, they definitely look like early precursors to the temples of the Fire Sages scattered about the Fire Nation today. 

Aang nods as he peers around. “Ok, we learned something about architecture,” he cheerfully notes, “Hopefully, we'll learn something about firebending, too. The past can be a great teacher.”

“I sure hope so,” Zuko ominously replies.

The road they’re walking on, which he assumes must be the main road through the city, slopes downward. Walls rise up to surround them on both sides, vines curling up through the cracks in the stones. More vines, ones as thick as tree limbs, run over their heads and cast shadows. Sokka tenses when he hears a rustle in the bushes somewhere nearby, then jumps when something skitters across one of the vines above.

“You’re pretty jumpy for a warrior,” Zuko teases.

“It startled me is all!” Sokka defensively replies. 

Aang chuckles. “It’s probably just a macawrutan.”

“A what now?” He seems to be the only one that doesn’t know what Aang’s talking about.

“You’ve never heard of a macawrutan?” asks Zuko.

Sokka shakes his head and Aang takes it as his queue to explain: “It’s a kind of monkey with a beak” --he makes a gesture with his hands to illustrate-- “and really muscley arms with long, shaggy feathers. They can’t really fly, but they can jump really far and glide a little with their wings” --again, he illustrates, stretching his arms out and flapping them in a way that has Sokka gripping his stomach and laughing raucously. “They still have hands, though, with really strong, sharp talons that help them grab onto the trees and vines they swing from” --bless his little heart, ‘cause Aang once again demonstrates and this time even Zuko lets a chuckle escape his lips. “And the best part? They’re super colorful!” Aang finishes with a flourish of his hands.

“A little _too_ colorful.” Because of _course_ Zuko doesn’t agree with bright colors. He and his gloomy girlfriend are such buzzkills.

“Sounds...weird,” says Sokka just as he hears another noise from above. He looks up and, sure enough, another macawrutan scurries across before stopping three quarters of the way. Sokka freezes as it makes direct eye contact with him. “ _Aaaaang_ ...why is it _staring_ at me?” he whispers.

He shrugs. “I dunno. I don’t speak macawrutan. But don’t worry, they’re usually pretty friendly...from what I’ve heard, anyway.”

Sokka gives him a pointed side-eyed glare as he continues to stare back at the creature. With a startling cry, it flaps its arm wings and disappears. He lets out a sigh of relief.

“C’mon, let’s keep moving,” Zuko says, getting them back on track again. 

“Bye, buddy!” Aang chipperly calls after the long-gone creature. 

The walls around them are high, but Sokka can still see the buildings towering above them. The three of them fall back into silent admiration of their surroundings as they continue through the valley until Sokka sees something that gives him pause.

“Wait--” he warns, reaching out a hand to try and stop Aang. He’s too late, though, and Aang’s ankle snags on the well-hidden trip wire strung across the path. With the wire tripped, the floor just in front of them opens up to reveal a pit of deadly-sharp spikes. Aang yelps in surprise as he falls forward and Sokka can’t help the frantic scream that bursts out of his mouth before Aang blows a gust of wind that propels him upward. He flips in the air and lands shakily on his feet on the other end of the pit.

With wide, ‘Did You See That? I Almost Died!’ eyes Aang turns back to look at them. “You know how I said the past can be a great teacher?” Aang calls to them from across the gap. “Well, I think the past is trying to kill me!”

But he and Zuko are barely paying attention. Instead, they’re both crouched down to inspect the booby-trap.

“Wow, this is really impressive for a thousand year old civilization!” Sokka gasps.

“Definitely impressive,” Zuko agrees. “This booby-trap must be centuries old and it still works! I can’t believe it.”

“I wonder how they made sure the gears would still function after all this time…” Sokka says, peering very carefully over the side of the spike-filled pit to try to see the gears that must’ve opened it.

“It’s operating off of some kind of pulley system that uses wood. But how did the wood not rot after this long?”

“Don’t worry about me!” Aang calls from the other side with a hint of annoyance. “Near-death experiences are just a part of a typical day in the life of a twelve-year-old Avatar!”

“Uh-huh,” he and Zuko simultaneously hum absent-mindedly.

“Hey! We’ve got a mission here, guys! Focus!” 

The next thing either of them know, they’re struck by a column of wind that knocks them onto their backs. When they get up, Aang is standing on the other side with an impatient look on his face as he lowers his staff.

“Okay, okay, sheesh, we’re coming!” Sokka says, groaning as he gets to his feet. Zuko lends him a hand and he nods in silent thanks. 

“Are you gonna be able to--?” Aang starts to ask, but before he can finish Zuko takes a few steps back for a running start, then runs across the fucking wall and hops over to the other side to join Aang. Sokka stares.

“Are you shitting me right now?”

Zuko shrugs. “What, you can’t do that?”

Aghast at the implications the prince is making, a flustered Sokka rolls his shoulders, cracks his neck, takes a few steps back, and--

Halts as he sees Zuko turn to Aang. They exchange words. Aang gives Sokka a nervous glance and nods.

“Relax! I’ve totally got this!” He assures them. “Stupid _jerk_ bender. I’ll show him! I can do that!” He does the same thing Zuko did, once more taking several steps back. He gets a running start, lifts his foot to jump up onto the wall, and--

A sweeping and most unnatural gust of wind carries him none-too-swiftly across the pit. Sokka flails and lands in an ungraceful heap on the ground by Aang’s feet. Aang taps his staff back to the ground and offers him a hand.

Sokka begrudgingly accepts. “I had that,” he grumbles, glaring at them both.

The others look unconvinced. “Sorry, Sokka. I didn’t wanna risk it. You’re too important! And that does _not_ look like a fun way to go,” says Aang. _Okay, that’s fair._

When they resume their path, Sokka sidles up next to Zuko. “You think you could teach me that wall running thing later?” he whispers.

The corner of Zuko’s lips curls into a knowing smile. “I knew you couldn’t do it.” 

Sokka smiles back, taking it as a yes. “ _Yet_.”

As they continue walking, Aang continues to appear unnerved despite the danger being behind them. He quietly trails behind them for a bit before finally voicing what’s got him so anxious. “Guys, that couldn’t have been the only trap there was. There’s probably more. Maybe this means we shouldn’t be here.”

Sokka turns his head to raise a brow at him. “Where’d that upbeat attitude of yours go?”

“Relax,” says Zuko, “If anything, it’s a good thing.”

“How are sharp, pointy death traps a _good_ thing?!”

Zuko stops and turns to face the airbender. “Because people don’t make traps unless they’ve got something worth protecting.”

The path quickly slopes back upward and up a wide set of stairs. When they reach the top, they find a building that looks like it’s still intact...but without any visible entrance. It’s decorated with a beautiful and elaborate carving of a man surrounded by several rings of fire and encircled by two large dragons on either side of him who are the source of the fire. 

“Wow,” says Sokka, running a reverent hand across the carving.

“This looks promising,” says Aang as he studies the image. “I’m not sure what it tells us about the original source of firebending, though.”

Zuko seems to be having a completely different reaction, however. He’s standing a few steps behind the two of them and Sokka can practically feel the tension he’s radiating.

“You good, buddy?” Sokka asks, turning to him with concern.

“I’m fine,” he says in a way that tells Sokka he’s anything but.

“Yeah, and I’m the Great Spirit Heibei,” he shoots back with a roll of his eyes.

Zuko glares at him in a most familiar way; the way he used to when they were enemies and about to face off in a fight.

Aang has finished examining the wall and is now also eyeing Zuko suspiciously. “Zuko, why do these dragons look like they’re attacking him?” he asks, pointing to the man in the mural. “Weren’t the dragons friends with the Sun Warriors? And the rest of the Fire Nation, for that matter?”

“Guess they had a funny way of showing it,” Zuko mumbles, clearly trying to put an end to this line of questioning. Aang either doesn’t get the hint or refuses to drop the subject so easily.

“But 100 years ago they were everywhere. My friend Kuzon and I--”

“Exactly!” Zuko snaps at him. “That was 100 years ago. In case you’ve forgotten, the world isn’t exactly the same as it was back then!”

“Zuko--” Sokka sharply warns. 

Rather than appearing upset, Aang only appears more suspicious. “Something happened in the last hundred years, didn’t it? Something you’re not telling me.”

With a great sigh, Zuko turns his gaze toward the mural. “My great-grandfather Sozin happened.”

“What do you mean?”

Maintaining his silence, Zuko leads them onward from the mural and across a stone bridge with elaborately detailed dragon statuettes jutting out of the sides. “He started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. They were the ultimate firebenders. And if you could conquer one, your firebending talents would become legendary and you'd earn the honorary title ‘Dragon.’”

“That’s--” Sokka falters, not really sure where he’s going with the rest of that. Awful? Barbaric? A testament to Sozin’s diabolical quest to eradicate everything and everyone who isn’t Fire Nation? 

“I know,” Zuko quietly agrees, bowing his head. 

They reach the edge of the bridge, where there’s a narrow staircase leading upward. It’s too steep for Sokka to see what waits for them beyond, but if the giant angry-looking statues of dragons perched on either side of it are anything to go by, he doesn’t think it’s anything good. One of the dragons is missing its head. The damaged head lies at the dragon’s feet and Zuko rests a hand on it, fingers cresting over its dead stone eye as if willing the statue to understand his deep regret for what his ancestors did to the once great and abundant creature it depicts.

“The last great dragon was conquered long before I was born,” he tells them, dragging his hand away. “By my uncle.”

“Wait, what?” Sokka, for one, is stunned. “But he’s…”

“I thought your uncle was...I dunno, good?”

Zuko sighs, head hung low. “He had a complicated past. Family tradition, I guess,” he says bitterly. “Let’s just move on.”

They ascend the stairs in silence. At the top there’s an open, circular pavilion. In the center of the circle stands a pillar with a big, red jewel embedded in it. Beyond that, a huge circular doorway with a set of elaborate golden doors stands in their path. Aang steps up to the doors, hands his staff over to Sokka, and tries to pry them open to no avail.

“It won’t budge!”

“How are we supposed to get in, then?” asks Sokka.

“Wait…” says Zuko, rubbing the back of his head in confusion. He turns around and his eyes widen as he realizes something. Sokka follows his line of sight to the red gem embedded in the column behind them. It’s glowing in the sunlight, shining a red beam of light directly on where Zuko’s head used to be. Now, it hits a circle etched into the ground that they failed to notice earlier. Sokka takes a step back, taking a closer look at the column and the ground below. 

“It’s a celestial calendar!” he cries at precisely the same time as Zuko. They both look at each other.

Aang blinks. “Wait, really?”

“It’s just like the one encountered during the Winter Solstice, Aang.”

“Oh yeah, back when Zuko was trying to capture me.”

Zuko rubs the back of his head again, this time in embarrassment. “Right...Again, I’m really sorry--”

“It’s okay. We’re on the same team now,” Aang says with a reassuring smile. Zuko looks up, trying to hide his shock and the pull at his heartstrings Sokka imagines he must be feeling at the surprising ease with which Aang forgives. The more time he spends with Zuko, the more Sokka realizes that he’s actually a very emotional guy and his ability to school his expression is pretty poor considering he’s royalty.

The firebender smiles minutely before he turns his attention back to the calendar. “The Fire Sages have these at all their temples. I bet that Sun Stone” --he points at the red gem-- “opens the door, but only when sunlight hits it at just the right angle.” He draws a line with his finger from the red gem in the column to an identical one embedded above the doors. “In other words--”

“Only on the solstice,” Sokka says with a sigh. 

Aang flails his hands in frustration. “Monkey feathers! Not the solstice again! We can’t wait that long!”

Zuko shakes his head. “No, we can’t.” But he doesn’t sound defeated quite yet. He sounds like he has a plan, and Sokka knows exactly what he’s thinking. “But maybe we can--”

“ _Speed time up_!” Sokka finishes in unison with him. “Zuko, your sword! Mine’s too narrow, but one of your broadswords should do just the trick!”

“Way ahead of you, Sokka,” he replies with a smirk, brandishing one of his twin blades. He crouches down, lining it up with the beam of light from the stone. “Let’s see if we can’t outsmart the Sun Stone.” Carefully, he adjusts the blade to make the beam of light move across the wall and up the doors before finally settling on the gem above them. The red gem above the door begins to glow just like the other one, but nothing seems to happen.

“Maybe the Sun Stone’s too smart to be tricked like that,” Aang says in a tone of defeat.

“Give it a minute, Aang,” Sokka says, clenching his fist anxiously.

“C’mon,” he hears Zuko grit through his teeth as he holds his sword in place.

The ground begins to shake. Sokka punches a fist into the air with a victorious shout as the doors slowly pry open. When the doors have opened all the way, the rumbling stops.

“It worked,” he hears Zuko say with a hint of surprise.

“Nice job, buddy,” Sokka congratulates him with a light elbow to the ribs.

“Hey, you and Sokka make a pretty good team!” Aang tells Zuko with a broad smile. “Nice thinking, you guys.”

“Thanks.” They enter through the doors, Aang in the lead. It takes a moment for their eyes to adjust to the low light, but when they do Aang jumps back in surprise. He’s standing right in front of a statue at least three times his size, posed in a fighting stance with a stern look on its face.

“Relax, they’re just statues,” says Zuko as they fan out to examine the room they’re in. 

It’s a high-ceilinged circular room with a ring of identical statues in various poses on each end of the room. They seem to depart in the center at the front of the room and meet back up on the far end of it.

“This looks familiar…” Sokka says more to himself than anyone else.

Zuko snaps around to gawk at him. “What? How?”

“I--I don’t know.”

“Hey, guys, look at the inscription here,” Aang calls from where he stands in front of the first statue on the left side of the ring. “It says this is something called the ‘Dancing Dragon.’” Sokka and Zuko look over in time to see Aang mimic the statue’s pose and hear the stone sinking a couple of inches into the floor. Aang steps away and squats down to examine the plate as it rises back up into position. “I think I know what we need to do,” he says, looking about the room at the other statues. Sokka follows his line of sight to find similar divets in the floor in front of each statue. “Zuko, come here! I need you to dance with me!”

Aang runs over and starts yanking at Zuko’s arm without much avail. Zuko’s bigger and stronger and hardly budges.

“What? I’m not dancing with you! Get off me!” Zuko says, trying to pry the younger man off of him. Sokka watches in amusement.

“Just do it! Trust me!” Aang gives a particularly rough yank as Zuko finally gives up the fight with a roll of his eyes. Aang drags him over to the first statue on the right side of the ring, then takes his place at the first one on the left. “I think we need to copy the movements of the statues.”

“There are identical plates in front of each of the statues. I think he’s right,” Sokka says from his spot in the middle of the ring of statues. “But I don’t think it’s a dance. I think...I think they’re firebending forms.”

“But they’re nothing like any of the forms I know,” says Zuko.

Sokka frowns at him. “We’re dealing with a thousand-year-old civilization here. Firebending must’ve changed over the centuries.”

“Fair point.” He gives Aang a nod to signify he’s ready, and together they copy the movements of the statues before them. Sure enough, the plates sink into the floor. They move on to the second and third statues on their respective sides of the circle and the plates behave the same way.

But Sokka’s brain halts as he watches them move. He realizes where he’s seen these moves before… “I know why this looks so familiar!” Sokka calls out to them. “Zuko, your uncle knows these forms!” 

Zuko doesn’t move off the plates each of his feet are on, but he does give Sokka quite the surprised look. “I’ve never seen him firebend like this…” He sounds a bit put out, and Sokka realizes that perhaps he should’ve kept this information to himself. “Then again, I’ve never seen him do a lot of things. I didn’t care.”

“Zuko, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean--I’m sure you’ll see him again and then you can tell him you’re--”

“You don’t need to apologize,” he replies. “Aang, next form.”

Rattled slightly by the exchange, Aang nods. “Right.” His face brightens as he eyes the final statue ahead of them. “This is gonna teach us something awesome, I know it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Zuko says with an understandable degree of skepticism. Sokka’s not sure how much a bunch of statues and sinking plates can teach anyone about firebending, but hey, he’s new to this whole bending thing. What does he know?

Besides, the plates have gotta be there for a reason. His experience with setting traps and mechanics has him thinking that with each plate they step on, Aang and Zuko are unlocking something. He just doesn’t know what.

The two continue to move through the form, Sokka watching with guarded fascination. At last, Aang bends his body to the right and stretches his arms above his head, hands balled into fists just like the final statue. Zuko makes a mirror image, his arms stretching slightly above Aang’s but meeting him right in the center. The sun shines down from an opening cut into the high ceilinged room and casts an epic-looking shadow of the two upon the tiled floor.

“Well that was anti-cli--” Zuko begins to say, but is interrupted by another rumbling noise.

Sokka lets out a cry of surprise as the floor in the middle of the room opens up. He jumps back out of the way as a pedestal rises up out of the hole.

He and Zuko step away from the statues to stand by Sokka as the pedestal settles into place. “Whoa, what’s _that_?” asks Aang.

Resting atop the pedestal is a golden object that looks like an enormous egg. The object gleams in the sunlight that perfectly shines down upon it.

“It’s some kind of...mystical gem stone,” says Zuko as he steps toward it.

“Wait, don’t touch it!” Sokka reaches out and grabs his arm to stop him. Zuko hits him with a pretty spectacular What The Fuck, Dude? look. Well, Zuko probably doesn’t use the word ‘dude,’ but whatever.

“Why not?” Aang asks, cautiously peering at the golden object.

“Have you _never_ read a single adventure story in that big, fancy palace library of yours?”

“You read?” Aang asks, innocently enough.

Sokka gives him the dirtiest look he can muster, opening his mouth to retort before ultimately deciding against it. “Ignoring,” he grumbles, turning his attention back to Zuko. “This is _exactly_ the kind of trap that activates a hidden door that sends a giant boulder out of some hole in the wall that rolls down the ramp and crushes us all!”

Zuko blinks at him, raising an eyebrow. “There’s no ramp here, Sokka.”

Aang ducks behind Zuko, peering nervously at the gem from over his shoulder. “Actually, he might have a point. Remember those spikes back there?” he asks, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder back toward the entrance. “I think we’ve got pretty good reason to be _very, highly_ suspicious of giant, glowing gems on pedestals!”

Zuko rolls his eyes, sighing loudly. “You’re being ridiculous. Seriously, how did I _never_ manage to capture you?” He pries Aang off of him and, with a final I Can’t Believe I’m Surrounded By Idiots glare at the both of the them, steps forward and gingerly lifts the gem up off the pedestal.

Aang bites his fingernails, eyebrows twitching. Sokka’s whole body tenses. 

“See?” Zuko casually tells them as they both scream at him to put it back. “You two are b--” a deep-green, gooey substance bursts from the pedestal in a manner that reminds Sokka of the geysers in the underground tunnels they sprinted through during the eclipse. The force of it sends Zuko flying up into a grate in the ceiling above. 

“I told you!” Sokka shouts up at him.

Zuko glares mutinously down at him from the spot where he’s stuck up on the ceiling. “Shut up, Sokka!” 

He would love to tease Zuko for hours, but his attention is diverted by the more urgent issue at hand: the door they came through has shut behind them.

“See!” Aang cries in panic as green goo continues to spill from the pedestal and cover the floor. He and Sokka hastily back away from it. 

“Now’s not the time for I told you so, dammit! Stay away from that stuff, it’s like some kind of glue! I can’t pull myself free from it!”

“Yeah, that’s not good…” Sokka mutters to himself, eyeing the goo with a newfound fear.

Aang, realizing he’s left his staff on the other side of the room, leaps over the goo to grab it. He jumps up onto a nearby statue and uses it to bend a gust of wind at Zuko in an attempt to free him.

“I don’t think that’s gonna--” Sokka starts to say, and sure enough, the only thing it does is flip Zuko over so his face is pressed up against the grate instead of his back. “Nice one, genius.”

“I don’t see you coming up with any better ideas!” 

“Gimme a minute!” He cries, continuing to back away from the encroaching green substance.

“I don’t think you’ve got a minute, Sokka!” Zuko calls from his spot on the ceiling.

Sokka looks down to see the goo less than an inch away from his toes. With a yelp, he backs away only to run straight into a wall. Shit. “Okay, maybe not!” he concedes as he scrambles onto one of the statues. The goo eats away the remaining bits of the floor, including the spot where Sokka had just been standing, seconds later.

The substance rises rapidly, reaching the knees of the statue...the waist… Sokka looks over at Aang. “Sorry, buddy, but I got nothin’!” he says with a hopeless shrug.

Aang’s eyes widen fearfully. As the substance reaches the neck of the statues, he lifts his staff and jabs at the substance. 

“What are you _doing_ ?! Don’t _poke_ it!” Sokka screeches. Again, too late, because Aang pokes it not one but twice, and it’s on his second attempt that his staff gets stuck in the goop. Aang tries to yank it free, but it’s useless. 

He meets Sokka’s eyes. “Okay, maybe that wasn’t the brightest idea…”

“Oh, _now_ he realizes!” Sokka groans, flailing his arms in frustration.

“Sokka, look out!” Aang shouts. 

Sokka looks down to see the green goo oozing over the top of the statue’s head toward his feet. He opens his mouth to cry out, but the breath leaves him as he’s skyrocketed up into the air toward the grate. His face smacks into the metal grate as he lands right beside Zuko. “A little _warning_ would’ve been nice!” Sokka shouts back down to Aang. 

He’s only just realizing he is, of course, stuck in the same way as Zuko is when Aang airbends himself up next to him, grabbing at the bars of the grate.

“That’s why I said, ‘Sokka, look out!’”

Sokka sighs. “Well _now_ what do we do? I’m stuck here just like Zuko! I can’t move!”

Aang tries to pull his hands away from the bars, but finds he’s in the same predicament. “I, uh...I can’t, either…” he sheepishly admits.

“Seriously?” Sokka cries. “You’re the _Avatar_ and you get beat by a pool of gross, green goo?”

“If only I’d known it was _this_ easy all along,” Zuko dryly comments. Sokka would laugh if the current circumstances were different.

“Cut me some slack! I’m only twelve!”

“112,” says Sokka. Aang scowls.

“Enough! I’ve got an idea!” says Zuko. “Sokka, you need to try and firebend. Maybe you can melt this stuff away.”

Sokka’s eyes widen. “I dunno, I--” Just then, the goo rises up to meet their backs. It continues to rise until, Sokka presumes, it reaches the ceiling and begins pushing on them. He and the others groan as the pressure presses them up against the bars. “Y’know, when I imagined how I might die, being suffocated by a pile of green goo isn’t quite what I pictured!” he grunts. And sure, you might say that it’d be wise to save his breath, but Sokka’s a meat and sarcasm kinda guy. It’s in his nature, even when facing death, to get the last biting remark in.

But suddenly the pressure disappears and the goo stops flowing. 

“At least we have air,” Zuko says, sounding uncharacteristically optimistic. “If we stay calm, I bet we can find a way out of this.”

“I know I’m normally the hope and optimism guy, but I don’t see how we could possibly get ourselves out of this without someone else’s help.”

“Let’s just stop talking for a minute and think,” says Zuko.

A minute becomes an hour. An hour becomes several. The sun sets, the stars come out, and Sokka’s stomach rumbles.

Mostly jokingly, Sokka breaks the long stretch of silence by asking, “You think this stuff is edible?”

“Don’t,” Zuko says in what Sokka imagines is his Princey Voice.

“I’m kidding.” Mostly.

Silence falls once more. Another hour or so ticks by. 

“You just _had_ to pick up the egg, _didn’t_ you?” Aang says with such sarcasm it makes Sokka tear up like a proud father.

“Hey, at least I made something happen! If it were up to you, we wouldn’t have made it past the courtyard!”

“No, I think Aang’s got a pretty good point there.”

Zuko lets out a frustrated groan. “Why does the universe hate me!”

“Once again, that’s _my_ line!”

“ **_HELP!_ **” Aang screams out into the empty ruins. Sokka winces, turning his head and wishing he could plug his ears.

“ _Who_ are you yelling to?” says Zuko. “Nobody’s lived here for centuries!”

“It can’t hurt to try? What else are we gonna do? Wait for days until Katara and Toph decide to come looking for us?”

Sokka scoffs. “Pft. Don’t hold your breath! Katara is _terrible_ with maps!”

“I wish Uncle were here…” Zuko mumbles.

“What do we do now, then?” Aang quietly asks.

Sokka’s eyes graze over the night sky. He sees the constellations his father used to tell him about. He identifies the north star, the first star his father had him learn because it was crucial in navigation. “ _It will always help you find your way_ ,” his dad had said. And then his eyes fall upon the brightest source of light up there in the deep blue. The light which once came in the form of a beautiful young princess with silver hair, pale blue eyes, and the kindest of smiles. “I dunno about you, but I like to gaze at the moon. She looks so pretty tonight.”

“Yeah, she does, doesn’t she?” Aang wistfully replies. Sokka can’t see either of them well with the way they’re smushed up against each other and the bars, but out of the corner of his eye he can see Aang’s lips curled up into a smile.

“I know waterbenders get their strength from the moon and the tides and all, but what’s with you and the moon?” Zuko asks.

“I loved her,” Sokka quietly answers.

“Huh?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”

“We’ve got plenty of time right now, if you want,” Zuko says, sounding like he’s eager to know but treading carefully because he doesn’t want to pry.

“Who’s down there?” a booming voice calls from somewhere above.

“No way!” Aang whispers. “Somebody found us!”

“Yeah, but who? We’re in the Fire Nation, remember? Whoever it is probably isn’t a friend of ours,” Zuko reminds him.

“If it's Katara or Toph, then they must've gotten _real_ buff since we left.”

“I’ll only ask once more: who’s down there?” the voice calls again.

A hefty figure steps up to the edge of the grate, blocking the moon and casting his shadow down on them. Sokka looks up and, although it’s dark, he can make out a feathered headdress reminiscent of the ones he’s seen on the statues and the figure on the mural earlier. The man lifts a hand and a ball of fire bursts into life, lighting up his face just enough for them to see:

He’s a Sun Warrior.

* * *

BONUS: My SUPER talented friend, beta, and the one who inspired me to write this in the first place drew a macawrutan for us all. Please enjoy. She's @PandyPants95

<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zyXgqYvuPAF6YRd4cMEjexfdsi7TJe_9/view?usp=sharing>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this first half and are excited about what's to come! I know I am! I really enjoyed writing the dynamic between Aang, Zuko, and Sokka. I hope this begins to fill your need for an epic bromance with Zuko and Sokka, too! It was great fun to write.
> 
> Hopefully next chapter will be out next week, but if it's not, know that it's because school will be starting up again and I also started my TEFL course, so I'm a little busier than usual. But we're so close to the end and I'm really excited about what's coming up that I think I should manage. Plus, I really want to try to keep some semblance of continuity.
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you liked and are looking forward to. I look forward to your reviews, as always!


	20. The Firebending Masters: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang, Sokka, and Zuko meet the Sun Warriors who are very much not dead, and are then brought before the firebending masters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YIKES okay I never meant to take so long posting this second part of the chapter, but things have been so busy recently! And I had some trouble writing this chapter. But alas, it's finished! And I hope the wait was worth it!

Sitting together in a goopy pile while a crowd of Sun Warriors (who apparently  _ do _ still exist and still inhabit their most certainly  _ not _ abandoned ancient city) glare at you from above is not an enjoyable experience. Sokka absentmindedly watches his antsloth-eater (they each have one) lick away the green sticky substance from him.

When about twenty minutes (to Sokka’s best estimate, at least) pass, he decides he can’t take the silence anymore and awkwardly blurts out, “Nice place you got here…” Zuko, who has regained control of at least one of his arms, elbows him in the gut and grits out between his teeth something that sounds an awful lot like ‘shut the fuck up, Sokka.’

No one answers. Silence falls again.

Another twenty, or at the very least ten, minutes go by. His upper body and the tips of his toes are free. The antsloth-eater is just starting on the lower half of his body. “Cool face paint. I have a girlfriend who uses a ton. You guys could share makeup tips--”

Okay, Zuko is  _ definitely _ telling him to shut the fuck up the second time he elbows Sokka in the ribs. He swears he hears one of the Sun Warriors snort a laugh. 

Sokka leans in toward Aang and whispers, “These guys need to work on their small talk. They’re worse than Zuko!”

“Hey! I heard that!” hisses Zuko. Aang hides a laugh behind his hand. When he gets a glare from the guy who found them and who Sokka assumes is chieftain, he composes himself quickly.

As the antsloth-eaters lick away the last patches of green goo, the chieftain steps forward. Sokka doesn’t like the look on his face. He likes the balls of flames that four warriors surrounding the chief from behind ignite in their hands even less. They’re a quiet but no less effective threat not to try anything. And then, just in case they somehow still didn’t get the message to not try anything funny, there’s a full ring of warriors around them and each one of them looks intimidating.

“You tried to steal our sun stone,” the chieftain says in a deep timber that reminds Sokka of the sound of the earth rumbling when Toph earthbends. Thunderous and fear-inciting. “For this, you must be punished!”

Zuko holds up his hands. “Wait, we didn’t come here to take your Sun Stone, we came to find the ancient origin of firebending!”

A tall, sinewy man steps forward. “Please, chief,” he says, crossing his arms and frowning deeply at them, “They are obviously thieves here to steal our most treasured artifacts! We’ve seen their kind before.”

The chief gives him a look that even Sokka understands means to shut up. The man begrudgingly shuts his mouth and bows his head.

Aang sees his opening and takes it. “Please,” he begs the chief as he turns back to them, “I don’t normally play this card, but…” he places a hand on his chest, looking more confident than he surely feels, “I’m the Avatar.”

The chief and Lieutenant Long Legs, as Sokka decides he shall now be known as, exchange a look. For a moment, Sokka wonders if they even know what the Avatar is. 

Undeterred, Aang stands up and smiles nervously. “Just hear us out,” he pleads. “I need to learn firebending before Sozin’s Comet arrives. He’s supposed to teach me, but…” He falters, looking over at Zuko who follows his lead and stands up, too, so he can explain himself.

Zuko follows his lead and stands up, too. “My name is Zuko, Crown Prince--well, former Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, I suppose. Not really sure what I am anymore…”

Resisting the urge to bury his face in his palms, Sokka hastily gets to his feet. He leans in toward Zuko and elbows him. “Now’s not a good time for an identity crisis, buddy.”

Zuko sheepishly nods. “Right. Well, I’m  _ of _ the Fire Nation, and I know my people have distorted the ways of firebending to be fueled by anger and rage. Up until very recently, I believed that was the only way to firebend. Now I want to know the true way, the original way. When we came here, I never imagined the Sun Warrior civilization was secretly still alive. I’m truly humbled to be in your presence.” He bows deeply to them, and Sokka watches the chief’s face carefully to see if he can get a read on how they’re doing with pleading their case. Unfortunately, the chief’s not an easy man to read.

“And you?” the high and reedy-voiced Lieutenant Long Legs asks, turning everyone’s attention to Sokka.

Sokka’s eyes grow as wide as the crater left by the meteorite he made his sword from. They dart from Aang to Zuko to the Sun Warriors surrounding them and back again. Zuko very unhelpfully shrugs. Sokka sputters for a minute, then meets the chief’s eyes. “I’m Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe--”

Long Legs puts his hands on his hips and raises a long, thin brow at him. “What does a  _ waterbender _ want with the Masters?”

“Let him speak, Ham Gao,” the chief chastises.  _ So that’s Long Legs’ name _ . He sounds tired, like Ham Gao does this sort of thing a lot. Poor chief.

Sokka nods minutely in thanks. “I’m not a waterbender,” he says shakily, a little rattled by being interrupted so soon. “I’m a firebender, but I’ve barely studied how to firebend because I’ve been denying it and hiding it for years.” He gestures to his friends. “Zuko and Aang convinced me that coming here might help me make peace with that part of myself.”

“How are you a firebender if--” Ham Gao starts to ask in what sounds like genuine curiosity and not pure hostility, but the chief once more cuts him off.

“If you wish to learn the ways of the Sun, you must learn them from the masters Ran and Shaw.”

“Masters? There’s two of them?”

The chief nods at Aang and takes another step closer. “When you present yourselves to them, they will examine you.” He leers over them, glaring down at him and Aang. “They'll read your hearts, your souls…” his eyes skip over to Zuko. In the dancing shadows of the fires cast by the Sun Warriors around them, the chief’s eyes have a dark and intense gleam in them. Sokka always thought Zuko was kinda tall, but this guy dwarfs him in size--or has some secret Sun Warrior intimidation tactic that makes him  _ seem _ like he does. The prince--former prince?--shrinks in on himself a little. “...and your ancestry.” The chief’s eyes graze over the three of them once more. “If they deem you worthy, they’ll teach you. If they don’t…” Sokka hears even Zuko gulp audibly in fear, “you’ll be destroyed on the spot.” The large man steps back, letting his words settle upon them.

Sokka swallows the lump of fear in his throat--well, he tries to--and looks nervously over at Aang and Zuko.

A short, sturdy-looking woman steps forward. She’s broad-shouldered and every inch of her appears to be pure muscle. She reminds him of a burlier version of Toph. “Come. We will show you where you may stay for the night,” she says, gesturing for them to follow.

“If you can even sleep, that is,” Ham Gao jeers. “I know  _ I _ wouldn’t be able to if I was awaiting my imminent doom at the hands of the masters.”

“Quiet, Ham Gao!” the chief is over on the other side of the pavilion talking to some men but he takes a moment to shout the order in an exasperated tone from over his shoulder before returning to his conversation.

“Don’t listen to Ham Gao, he’s just a grumpy little weasel-toad. Don’t know why Chief keeps him around, honestly,” the woman says as she leads them away.

“I heard that, Hathai!” Ham Gao’s nasally voice calls after them.

The woman, Hathai, throws her head back and laughs.

* * *

In the morning, they’re led up a crazy-long series of stairs that makes Sokka question just how in shape he really is. The stairs take them past several dome-like structures, but they don’t stop until they reach the final one at the top. There, the Chief waits for them in front of a brightly burning fire nestled within the domed wall of the structure.

“If you’re going to see the masters, you must bring them a piece of the eternal flame.” He gestures to the fire behind him. “This fire is the very first one.” He turns toward it, gazing into it with awe and pride in a trance-like way. “It was given to man by the dragons and we have kept it burning for thousands of years.” He faces them once more, the ghost of the great flame still dancing in his eyes.

“This is incredible…” Zuko breathes.

“Wow,” whispers Aang.

Sokka shakes his head a little. “I wanna say that’s far-fetched, but travelling with Aang has taught me that there are far crazier things than an eternal flame.”

Zuko gives him a pointed look, but backs off once Sokka actually concedes to the possibility instead of throwing his usual dose of skepticism at the idea that the prince must’ve been expecting.

The Chief doesn’t have any remarks for any of their comments, merely plowing forward with his speech and the ritual. “You will each take a piece of the flame to the masters to show your commitment to the sacred art of firebending.”

“Uh, Mister Sun Chief? Sir?” Aang hesitantly steps forward. “Yeah…” he mutters, rubbing the back of his shiny bald head sheepishly, “I’m not a firebender yet. That’s kind of the whole reason I came here. Couldn’t my friend here carry my fire for me?” He asks, gesturing to a taken aback Zuko.

The Sun Chief glares at him. “No,” he sternly replies, then turns away to face the fire.

Trying to alleviate the fear that’s surely worming through his friend now, Sokka elbows him gently in the side. “Nice try, buddy. Looks like you’ll have to carry it the same as Zuko. Don’t worry, though, you’re the Avatar! Bending comes like breathing to you. You got this.”

“Aren’t you nervous, too?” Aang asks.

Sokka blinks. “Why should I be? I’m not the one facing the masters.”

The Sun Chief, Zuko, Aang, and even some of the closer-by Sun Warriors turn to look at him. “Did you not say you came here to make peace with yourself?” The Chief stares him down hard.

Sokka gulps. “Well, yeah, but I never--”

“You will take a piece of the flame and meet the masters just like your friends.”

“Wait, hold up, that’s not what I--”

“Ha ha,” Aang jeers, “Looks like you’ll have to carry the flame, too, Sokka!”

Okay, he kinda deserved that. Still, he shoots Aang a mean look in return and doesn’t ease off him until he sees the Chief raise his hands and draw a piece of the great flame into his palms. He twirls around, hands with the fire between them raised into the air, and lowers them once again when he faces them. “This ritual illustrates the essence of the Sun Warrior philosophy.” He splits the flame in two, and--

“Can I get the bigger one?” Aang asks in a small voice.

“No,” the Chief curtly replies in the same tone as before. Aang frowns. “While the flames may seem larger or smaller at first, it will all depend on you to keep your piece of the eternal flame burning as you travel to see the masters. Therefore, it does not matter if you get the ‘bigger’ or ‘smaller’ one.”

He hands Zuko one of the flames. “You must maintain constant heat,” he instructs. “The flame will go out if it is too small” --out of the corner of his eye, Sokka sees Aang cringe-- “but if it is too big, then you may lose control.” Sokka’s pretty sure he sees a spark of fear in Zuko’s eyes as he lets the fire settle in his hands.

“Constant heat…” he hears Zuko mutter to himself. “I can do that.”

The Chief splits the remaining flame down into two and hands Sokka his piece first.

Sokka tentatively takes it, trying to remind himself of all the things Iroh taught him and remember the successes, no matter how accidental they may have been, that he’s had so far. He can do this. He’s carefully cradling it and staring at it in his palms as the Chief moves to Aang and hands him his flame.

“Sorry,” Aang says, bringing Sokka back from the depths of his own mind. He looks up to see his friend has yet to take his flame. “I’m just a little nervous.”

“Don’t be afraid of it. Go ahead, you’ve got this,” Zuko assures him. 

Aang tentatively nods and, at last, takes his flame. “It’s like a little heartbeat,” he says in quiet wonder as he cups his flame.

The Chief’s lips curl into a warm albeit subtle smile. “Fire is life, not just destruction.” Aang smiles, looking a little more confident. Sokka thinks of Iroh who told him more than once the same exact thing. Now he thinks he knows where the old man got it from. “You will take your flames up there,” the Chief continues, pointing to a steep, rocky mountain that rises just ahead of the horizon. “The cave of the masters is beneath that rock.”

“Also known as ‘The Cave Where You Become Food Scraps for the Masters’” Ham Gao says with a somewhat crazed laugh.

The Chief snaps around to him. “If you don’t stop running your big mouth, Ham Gao, it’s going to be  _ you _ who becomes food scraps for the masters!”

“You wouldn’t…” Ham Gao gulps, eyes wide.

“I advise you not to test me and find out.”

Ham Gao nods and backs away. Sokka resists the urge to laugh because  _ that’s karma, bitch,  _ but perhaps he’d better lay off the karma comments until after he’s survived destruction at the hands of the masters.  _ If _ he survives…

The three of them are directed into the forest toward the mountain. Zuko takes the lead. Sokka manages to stay only a few steps behind him, trying not to freak out about the ease with which he seems to be managing his flame. To his surprise, Aang seems to be having the most trouble. Aang lingers far behind them both, so much so that Zuko has already begun climbing the craggy mountain when Aang emerges from the woods.

Sokka waits at the base of the mountain for his friend to catch up. “You doin’ okay?”

Aang frowns. “I--”

“Hurry up!” Zuko calls from above.

Aang’s frown deepens. “I can’t!” he calls back, placing a hand on the base of the mountain and lifting a leg to begin the climb. “If I go too fast, my flame will go out!” He glances down at the wisp of a flame in his free hand in concern.

“Your flame’s gonna go out because it’s too small,” Zuko replies a little tersely. “You’re too timid. You need to give it more juice.”

Aang’s eyes widen as he and Sokka climb up the first rock. “But what if I can’t control it?”

Zuko pauses, looking back over his shoulder with a soft and encouraging smile. “You can do it. I know you can. You’re a talented kid.”

Aang’s lips curl into a timid smile. “Thanks, Zuko.”

“See? You’ve got this.”

Aang looks over at him. “No offense, Sokka, but I thought you’d be struggling more.”

Sokka stops, looking from Aang to the steady flame dancing in his hand. “Me, too,” he says with some confusion. “I guess all those times Iroh made me sit with a flame in my hand and just breathe are finally paying off.” He shrugs. In his head, he ticks it off as another piece of evidence that proves his mounting theory that Iroh has been here before, but not to kill any dragons. “Maybe just try not to focus so hard on keeping your fire lit and focus more on breathing. From what little I know, firebending has a lot to do with breathing.”

Aang’s brows crease in thought. He nods. “Yeah, I’ll try that.”

They continue their slow trek up the mountain in silence for a long while. As they near the top, Sokka calls up to Zuko who is still ahead of them. “Zuko, remember how I said your Uncle knew those forms you guys were doing yesterday?”

“What about them?”

“Your Uncle kept telling me when I trained with him that fire was life, not just destruction. Just like the Chief said earlier. Did he say that to you a lot, too?”

Zuko stops his climbing to look down at him. “He did, yeah. What are you getting at, Sokka?”

Ignoring him, Sokka asks one more follow-up question. “Would you say he has a different philosophy on firebending than most, if not all, firebenders you know?”

Zuko chuckles. “He has a different philosophy on life entirely.”

“He doesn’t fuel his firebending the way others do. The way you used to, does he?”

The amused look on Zuko’s face disappears, replaced by a scrunched up expression of confusion with a dollop of annoyance. “Is there something you wanna share with the class or not, Sokka?”

Sokka raises a hand in surrender. “Alright, alright. I’m just...solidifying my theory.”

“What’s your theory?” Aang asks.

He looks between the two of them. “I think your uncle came here to meet the masters, not to kill the dragons.”

“What?” comes their uniform reply.

“Look, how else does he know those forms? Why else would his practices and beliefs about firebending be so different from everyone else’s despite being Fire Nation royalty? Where would he have learned to think like that?” 

“Definitely not from Fire Lord Azulon…” Zuko concedes. 

Sokka shoots him a ‘See What I Mean?’ look. “Think about it. Are there other times where your uncle demonstrated a knowledge of firebending that no one else seems to have?”

Zuko thinks for a moment. Sokka can see the exact moment when something comes to him. “When he was teaching me to redirect lightning. He talked about how benders of the other elements move and where they draw their power from. He said he learned the technique by studying waterbenders.”

“You think he learned that from the masters?” asks Aang.

Sokka shakes his head. “I think he learned about the origins of firebending here and it changed his outlook on the world. He developed that technique because of it.”

“But he was known as the Dragon of the West. That title only goes to those who kill a dragon,” Zuko argues.

“Did anyone ever  _ see _ him kill a dragon, though?” Sokka counters.

“Well...no,” Zuko says slowly, realization dawning on him. “Maybe he tricked everyone somehow into  _ thinking _ he did…”

_ “Exactly.” _

Aang’s eyes brighten hopefully. “So there’s at least one dragon still out there?” Sokka sees his fire grow a little in size, mimicking his excitement.

The firebender shrugs. “Maybe.”

“Maybe we’re about to find out,” says Sokka with some trepidation.

Quiet descends upon them again as they make the final stretch of the climb. Sokka’s clothes are soaked in sweat from the exertion and the heat that beats down on them now that they’re completely exposed to the sun. As the sun begins to set, they finally reach the peak of the mountain and Sokka sighs in relief.

“Ugh, finally!” he groans, wishing he could collapse already.

No rest for them yet, though, as the Sun Warriors and their Chief are already waiting for them there. The warriors are in some strange, alternating sitting and standing position. In front of those sitting are small drums. Again, they’re in a large circle and at the head of it is the Chief. Behind him, the mountain’s peak splits into two points to form a U shape. In the middle of the U is a narrow staircase that rises up to meet a bridge that unites the two sides of the peak. There’s a cave on each end of the bridge. Sokka figures the masters must be up there.

Stepping forward, the Chief gestures to the stairs and whatever awaits upon the bridge. “Facing the firebending masters will be very dangerous for you. Your ancestors,” he says, eyeing Zuko darkly, “are directly responsible for the disappearance of the dragons.” Sokka sees Zuko pale and hang his head in shame. “The masters might not be so happy to see you.”

“I know I wouldn’t be,” Ham Gao says, hand on his hip and a smug grin on his face.

The Chief glares at him and Ham Gao steps back, bowing. 

“But once they find out I’m the Avatar--”

The Chief shifts his hard stare over to Aang. “Have you forgotten that you vanished allowing the Fire Nation to wreak havoc on the world? The decline of the dragons is your burden too.” Aang pales even more than Zuko did and averts his eyes to the ground.

Sokka gulps. “And me?”

The large man shrugs. “You should be fine.”

Zuko and Aang both gawk at him in a mixture of shock and envy. Sokka raises his hands defensively. “Hey, I wasn’t expecting it, either!”

“I did say ‘ _ should _ .’”

Sokka’s head snaps up. “ _ Should _ ?”

Shrugging once more, the Chief adds most unsettlingly, “I’m just guessing. I’m not the masters. They could see something I don’t.”

“You’re a  _ real  _ comfort.”

His only response is to tap his staff down as two warriors approach. The Chief reaches out and takes a piece of Zuko and Sokka’s flames (which makes Aang breathe a small sigh of relief as he cradles his fledgling flame). He hands a piece off to each of the warriors who then step back into the ring of warriors encircling them. The two warriors bend the flames into a circle several times before passing the flame off to the next warrior on either side. The process is repeated until every warrior within the circle has a ring of fire.

Aang turns to them, not even bothering to mask his fear. “Y’know...we could turn back now,” he tells them, “We’ve already learned more about fire than we hoped.” He holds up his little fire with a weak smile to emphasize his point.

“No,” a determined-looking Zuko replies. “we're seeing this through to the end. We're gonna meet these masters and find out what's so great about them.”

His words and the confidence in his tone, even if it’s partially or completely bravado, is enough to inspire a little more confidence in Sokka. “Yeah, Zuko’s right. We got this, buddy!” He gives Aang his most reassuring smile.

The airbender still looks unconvinced, however. “But what if they judge us and deem us unworthy? What if they attack us?”

“We’re the Fire Nation Prince and the Avatar--”

“ _ And me _ !” Sokka whines, offended at being left out.

“And Sokka,” Aang quickly and rather insincerely adds.

“And Sokka, yeah,” Zuko absently amends, causing Sokka to glare at him. “I think we can take these guys in a fight whoever they are.” He unsheathes one of his swords a little, exposing the hilt of the blade just enough for it to catch the rays of the setting sun. He smiles.

“Wait, hold up,” Sokka says, a chilling thought occurring to him. He looks back up at the caves and the bridge, the sun and the bleeding sky beyond them, and thinks this seems like a rather peculiar arrangement. He thinks back to what Toph said about the original earthbenders being the badgermoles. And Aang had said the original airbenders were the sky bison. What if the original firebenders aren’t people…

What if the dragons aren’t all gone…

Aang’s fearful eyes dart to him, wondering what he should be unsettled about now. “C’mon, Sokka, I was finally starting to feel the  _ tiniest _ bit ready to do this!”

“What’s the matter now?” Zuko asks with a hint of annoyance.

Sokka looks between them, heart beating loudly because he’s just as nervous as the both of them even if the Chief says he probably has nothing to worry about. He shakes his head none-too-gently. “Nothing. Nevermind.” 

Aang raises a brow and Zuko rolls his eyes, but they don’t press the issue. Zuko turns to the Chief and steps forward with an air of confidence. Sokka calls bullshit on the confidence part, though. He can tell the older boy is just as nervous as the rest of them. Given how he was raised, it makes sense Zuko would be good at hiding his emotions. “Bring ‘em out. We’re ready.”

The Chief nods and turns to address the warriors. “Chanters!” he cries, and the people sitting down on the ground begin to pound their drums. It’s a fast and intense rhythm that makes Sokka’s heart pound along but not out of excitement, cultural pride, duty to tradition, or whatever it is that fuels the Sun Warriors. It pounds with adrenaline. Cold, sweat-gathering-on-your-brow adrenaline that makes you physically have to fight off the instinctual urge to run.

With a grand, sweeping gesture toward the steps, the Chief steps aside for them to pass.

Zuko leads the way, followed by Sokka and then Aang. Sokka takes a deep breath as his feet hit the first step. He can hear the others do the same. Slowly, they ascend with their fledgling fires. The climb, in reality, only takes a few minutes but it feels like hours even with the drums pounding in the distance below them.

When they reach the top, the music stops and leaves Sokka’s ears ringing faintly. The only remaining sounds are his heartbeat and the billowing wind. Standing in the middle of the bridge with the dying sun beating down upon them, they glance between the two caves on either end and wait anxiously.

Sokka takes a deep breath to try to ground himself. He’s pretty sure he knows what’s coming and he’s definitely  _ not  _ ready for it, but he has to be. 

The sound of the Chief’s voice startles him. It’s amplified by some horn so that they can easily hear him even from all the way up on the bridge. “Those who wish to meet the masters Ran and Shaw will now present their fire.”

Zuko and Aang each turn toward a cave and bow their heads, stretching their flames out in front of them like an offering. Sokka’s head whips back and forth for a moment as he tries to determine which way to face. Is there some sort of symbolic balance thing where only one person can present their flame to each cave? Does he just kinda present his in the direction of the setting sun? In the direction of the Sun Warriors waiting and watching down below? No, the masters should be coming out of the caves so he might as well just face one of those. Sokka steps up beside Zuko and shakily bows, offering his flame out for the mysterious masters.

“Sound the call!” he hears the Chief order. A moment later, a horn blares. Nearby birds scatter, startled by the sound. The ground beneath them rumbles. Sokka hears rocks and dust shake loose from the cave walls on Aang’s end of the bridge.

“What’s happening?” Aang whispers, coming up to appear between the two of them. Sokka and Zuko straighten up to look at him. 

“How should  _ I _ know?” Sokka whispers back with a shrug.

Zuko looks at him questioningly. “What do you mean?”

Aang wordlessly retreats, practically shaking. Sokka assumes he’s resumed his position with his head bowed and hands out.

Except a second later he’s back with a somehow even more panicked look in his eyes. “Zuko, my flame went out!” he hisses.

“What do you want  _ me _ to do?” Zuko hisses back.

“Give me some of yours,” Aang says, reaching toward Zuko’s flame. The prince gently pushes him away.

“No. Just make your own.”

“I can’t!” Aang cries. He rounds on Sokka. “Sokka, gimme some of  _ your  _ flame!” He holds his hands out in desperation.

Sokka glances down at his still, thankfully, steadily burning flame. “I dunno how to really do that…” He’s never truly bended fire, like manipulated it to go somewhere else. All he’s ever done is keep it burning and extinguish it. 

“Don’t take  _ his _ ! Get some from those warriors,” Zuko says, nodding down the steps at the people below. “Hurry!”

Aang makes another go of trying to nab some of Zuko’s flame. The older boy takes less kindly to it this time, shoving Aang away with a little more force than before.

“Stop cheating off of me!” Zuko cries in an uncharacteristically petulant and childish tone that reminds Sokka of fights he used to have with his sister. Well, still does.

“I’m not  _ cheating _ ! Quit being so stingy!” Aang says, arms flailing as Zuko holds him back at arm’s length while keeping his fire far out of the small airbender’s reach.

“Hey, stop it! They can see us up here, y’know!” Sokka tries to remind them, a wave of embarrassment coming over him as he thinks about what the Sun Warriors must be thinking and saying about them as they watch.

“I’d rather they see  _ that _ than not have a flame to present the masters when they show up!” He turns to Sokka. “Can’t you at least  _ try  _ to give me some of your flame?”

“I’m not sure I--Hey!” He shouts, voice cracking as he dodges a frantic Avatar throwing himself at him. “Hands off!”

“I just need a little piece!” Aang insists, lunging at him with his hands outstretched. Sokka sidesteps him and sends him tumbling straight into Zuko, who flails his arms in an attempt to regain his balance and avoid falling over. And in the process, his fire goes out.

“Great, now _ I  _ don’t have any fire!” He and Aang both turn to Sokka who suddenly feels very much like a ferret-hen cornered by a very hungry cheetah-rabbit.

“Now wait just a minute, let’s not--” Sokka yelps as they pounce, holdings his hands up in the air in a poor attempt to avoid them stealing his fire. Aang leans in a little too far and the three of them shout in panic as they tumble in a heaping pile of limbs onto the warm stone bridge. Sokka’s stomach drops as he holds out his hands to see his fire is now also gone.

“Good going,  _ jerkbenders _ ! Now  _ none _ of us has a flame to present the masters!” He cries in frustration, throwing his hands up in the air.

The ground rumbles again, stronger this time, and the three of them stare at each other in concern.

“Uh-oh.” they all murmur in unison.

Sokka bobs his head back and forth between the two caves, heart beating fast, and gasps as a pair of yellow eyes glow in the dark of the cave to his left. “I knew it,” he says quietly to himself just as the owner of those serpentine eyes gives a tremendous roar and shoots out of the cave like a firework bursting out of its canister.

They’re all equally and appropriately stunned to see an actual dragon swirling around them. Yeah, Sokka might’ve pieced it together that the masters were dragons but to see a dragon for himself is totally different. 

The air billows around them and causes them to stumble a little as their eyes follow the path of the soaring red dragon. 

But the Sun Warriors said there were two masters. Sokka’s just begun to wonder where the second one is when an identical blue dragon pops out of the other cave and joins its partner in encircling the boys and the bridge in the bright glow of the sun.

Sokka’s entranced by the way they weave between and around each other and the bridge, but is knocked out of his amazed stupor when he hears Zuko from behind him.

“I can’t believe it.  _ These _ are the masters!” 

“Still think we can take ‘em?” Aang sarcastically replies in as quiet a voice as he can with the wind roaring in their ears.

“Shhh! I never said that!”

Sokka snickers. “Not so tough now, are ya? You know, I did try to tell you guys earlier…”

Aang spins around. “What? Seriously?”

Sokka defensively raises his hands in the air. “You were already nervous enough! I figured there was little point in making it worse and knew you’d find out eventually!”

“Alright, enough arguing! I think they’re waiting for us to do something…” says Zuko, furtively glancing at the dragons.

“Hold on,” says Aang, sounding like an idea’s just come to him. “I think we’re supposed to do the Dragon Dance with them!” 

Zuko blinks at him. “What? What about this situation makes you think they want us to dance?” 

“I dunno! You were the one that said they were waiting for us to do something! That’s the only thing I can think of that makes sense. Let’s just try it.”

Zuko rolls his eyes. “Fine.”

The two move to one end of the bridge and get into position as Sokka panics. Perhaps Aang and Zuko can catch on to firebending forms after going through them once, but Sokka’s pretty sure he’d need to do it at least two dozen times before any of it even stuck!

“Wait, I don’t know how to do it! I don’t remember any of the forms and I don’t think I can really copy them. You guys are used to bending forms, but I’m not!”

Aang and Zuko look back at him. “Just try and follow our lead as best you can,” Zuko tells him. “You got this, Sokka. Believe in yourself.”

“Don’t overthink it,” Aang adds. “Just do what Zuko said and let it come naturally.”

“Sure,” Sokka drawls, nervously eying the actual dancing dragons around them. Aang offers him a friendly smile and Zuko pats him on the back before they get back into position. Sokka closes his eyes and whimpers. “I’m definitely dragon food.”

But since he’s got no other option but to at least try, however disastrous the attempt may be, he lines up with Aang and follows him as best he can through the stances of the Dragon Dance. It’s a catastrophe, but the dragons haven’t killed him yet so maybe he’s not doing too terribly?

Sokka watches with guarded fascination out of the corner of his eye as the blue dragon seems to mirror their movements in its own way. And then they meet back up with Zuko at the far end of the bridge, fists raised toward the sun. As they do, the dragons also freeze and hover the bridge on either side of them.

The blue dragon leers at Zuko and snarls. The red dragon grumbles and locks eyes with Sokka, who completely freezes. He holds his breath as they stare, feeling like the masters are seeing straight into their souls. The younger boy moans in terror as the red dragon’s eyes fall on him. Sokka can feel Aang trembling. 

At last, the masters settle into a different position, planting their feet at the base of the stairs and gripping some upper part of the bridge to support themselves up top. The dragon before him and Aang, and presumably the other one as well, rears back its head and opens its large, toothy maw. Sokka raises his hands in a vain attempt to shield himself and squeezes his eyes shut. He and the others scream.

The dragons breathe a mouthful of fire at them, but Sokka doesn’t feel the expected burn and the searing pain or whatever else that comes with the undesirable pain of becoming yakitori for dragons. Instead, when he opens his eyes he finds a tunnel of bright, colorful light--fire--dancing around him and swirling upward. He lowers his arms slowly and looks around, finding Aang and Zuko doing the same thing. 

Sokka gasps at the beauty of the fire and realizes as he stares into it that it’s bearing some deep and ancient truth upon him as he does. 

“I understand,” he hears Zuko murmur in amazement.

_ Me, too, _ thinks Sokka. The stuff Iroh and the Sun Warriors said about fire being life, not just destruction come to mind once again and he absently nods as he realizes just how true it is.

They descend the stairs in stunned silence to meet the Chief once more. 

“Their fire was beautiful. I saw so many colors. Colors I've never imagined,” Zuko says, still sounding dazed by what he’s seen.

“Like firebending harmony,” Aang says with a similar tone and wide eyes. There’s a brightness there that he’s been missing for a while. Like he’s ready to face the future again after their crushing defeat on the Day of Black Sun. He’s got a firebending master, they’ve both been enlightened about what it means to truly be a firebender, and he’s still got a chance to end the war.

“Yes,” the Chief nods, sounding like this is just another day to him. Sokka figures by now that he’s seen the masters, the incredible fire they produce, and the visions that fire comes with so many times it’s nothing particularly special to him. “They judged you and, finding you worthy, gave you visions of the meaning of firebending.”

Zuko looks away, back up at the empty bridge. “I can’t believe there are still living dragons. All this time, I thought...” He turns to Sokka. “You were right. My uncle made everyone think he killed the last dragon, but he really came here to learn from the masters.”

The Chief smiles fondly. “I remember your uncle. Iroh was the last outsider to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret onto him as well.”

“He must’ve lied to protect them. To stop people from hunting them,” Sokka says.

“All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. All I ever saw it do was hurt people. Fire Lord Sozin used it to kill my people and when I tried to firebend for the first time, I hurt Katara. She would’ve had a scar because of me if she hadn’t been able to heal herself. Ever since then, I’ve been too afraid and hesitant to try again. But now I know the truth about firebending. I see it for what it really is...it’s energy and life.”

“It’s like the sun but…” Zuko pauses, clenching his fist as he tries to find the right words to explain whatever he’s feeling, “...but inside you.” He peers up at the Chief. “Do you guys realize this?” 

The Sun Chief gives him a deadpan look that has Sokka covering his mouth to stop from snickering. “Well, our civilization is called the Sun Warriors...so yeah.”

And once he’s said that, Sokka can’t hold it in anymore.

If looks could kill, Zuko’s would’ve murdered him three times over.

But the Chief isn’t laughing at him. Instead, he looks as serious and sincere as he’s ever looked these past twenty-four or so hours Sokka’s known him. “The Fire Nation lost the true meaning of firebending many years ago, before the war. Perhaps you, Prince Zuko, will one day help your people find it again.”

“That’s why my firebending was so weak before. My firebending was driven by my need to regain my honor. For years, hunting you” --Zuko says, glancing over at Aang-- “was my purpose. So when I joined you, I lost my inner fire. I didn’t have that drive anymore so I couldn’t firebend. I didn’t know how to find the fire within myself--” He stops, and shakes his head, smiling fondly. “Agni, I sound like Uncle!”

“Hey, yeah, you do!” Sokka says. 

“See? He’s still with you. In here,” says Aang, patting his chest.

Sokka rolls his eyes. “Ugh and you sound like Katara.”

Aang pouts. “I’m not wrong, though!”

“No, you’re not,” Zuko says with a smile. “And I have a new drive now. I have to help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world. Now that I know where to truly pull my fire from, I know I can do that.” To emphasize his point, Zuko steps away and firebends. A large wave of fire extends from his fist and he grins. He kicks his foot out and another blast of fire cuts through the air.

Aang follows his lead, looking excited for the first time about the prospect of firebending since he met Jeong Jeong. He punches the air and a large stream of fire flows from his fist. Aang grins with unbridled delight and proceeds to throw his arms out, casting a ring of fire. As the flames dissipate, Sokka sees the pure joy in his face. The fear he’s always had for firebending is gone. 

A smile spreads across his face at the sight of his friends regaining their confidence and conquering their fears. Aang and Zuko smile at each other before turning to Sokka with an expectant look on their faces.

“Go on, Sokka, firebend!” Aang cheerfully encourages.

Sokka stares at them in alarm and starts to give them a weak excuse as to why he doesn’t want to or can’t, but then he realizes he doesn’t feel a need to. He actually feels kind of excited, truly and genuinely excited, to try for the first time ever. Copying what both Zuko and Aang did and thinking of the few forms Iroh managed to teach him that stuck, Sokka throws a punch. Sure enough, fire bursts forth and curls in the air. 

It’s the biggest flame he’s ever produced.

When he looks back at his friends, they have the biggest, proudest grins on their faces. “That was awesome, Sokka!”

“Great job, Sokka!”

Even the Chief is smiling. “Congratulations. Now that you’ve learned the secrets and know of our tribe’s existence, however,” he says, his expression turning serious, “we have no choice but to imprison you here forever.”

Sokka and the others all drop their jaws in shock. Sokka’s pretty sure his face gets as white as Zuko’s for a moment before the Chief suddenly barks a laugh and bares his teeth with a wide smile. “Just kidding.”

Sokka sees Zuko’s shoulders relax again and Aang taking a couple deep breaths to regain his composure. Sokka closes his eyes and sighs.

“No, but  _ seriously _ ! Don’t tell anyone!” The Chief suddenly orders, and Sokka, being the melodramatic bastard he is, falls backward onto the ground.

“Did he just pass out?!” Zuko exclaims.

“Nah, he's just being dramatic. He'll be back on his feet in a minute,” says Aang with a casual air. "Right, Sokka?"

“You say that like I do this  _ all _ the time!” Sokka whines from the ground, eyes closed. “This is only, like, the  _ third _ time!”

“Katara says you did it back home, too.”

“I’ll kill her,” Sokka mutters vengefully.

* * *

On the ride back home, Sokka finds himself unsettled as he thinks about their adventure with the Sun Warriors and the masters. Under the half-moon’s glow, Sokka clenches his palm open and shut, igniting and extinguishing a small flame in his hand repeatedly.

“You doing okay there, Sokka?”

He’s so focused on the fire and the thoughts swirling around in his head that he startles a little when Zuko addresses him. “Yeah, I just…”

“Liar,” Zuko says without malice. Sokka balks. “I know a brooder when I see one.”

“I don’t  _ brood _ !”

Zuko chuckles, folding his arms across his chest. “Okay, sure.”

“I don’t. Brood.” Sokka growls.

Zuko raises his hands. “Look, I’m just trying to say you don’t  _ seem _ fine. I wanna help.”

With a resigned sigh, Sokka gives in. “Fine. Not sure you’ll be able to help much since you don’t really know what it’s like to--” Actually, maybe Zuko _does_ understand his situation somewhat.

“To what?”

Sokka looks up at him earnestly, scratching his grown-out hair nervously. “Well...to have a lineage you’re...not proud of,” he says, treading carefully. He knows it’s still a sore subject for Zuko regardless of the fact that he’s here on their side now.

“What do you--oh. Your firebending. The way you got it…”

Sokka clenches his fist, still warm from the fire it held moments ago. “I’m glad I came with you guys and learned all that stuff from the masters. I think it did help me come to terms with some things, but…” he tugs at his wolf tail absently as he thinks of how to put his feelings into words. “Everyone talks about being ‘blessed’ with the ‘gift’ of bending. That makes sense for most people. But all it’s ever been to me is a curse because of how I got it. This whole experience doesn’t change the fact that the reason I’m a firebender in the first place is because something horrible happened to my mom. I’m still not sure how to make peace with that even if I’ve made peace with the fact that I’m a firebender.” 

Zuko scoots closer and lays a hand on his shoulder. Feeling a wetness on his cheeks, Sokka turns his head away in embarrassment. “I’m really sorry, Sokka. I get why it’s taken you so long to accept this part of yourself and I can’t imagine how hard it’s been to keep it a secret from your family and your friends for so long. And for you to be reminded of what happened to your mom constantly…”

Sokka brushes the tears away and looks up. “How do you deal with it?”

Now it’s Zuko’s turn to look flustered. “I dunno if this helps, but I mostly just try to remind myself I’m not like them. I think of who I want to be for my mother and my uncle...for myself. I think of the ways I want to be better than my father, my grandfather, and great-grandfather.”

“So you try to focus on the positives rather than the negatives?”

“Something I’ve struggled with a lot in the past, but I think I’ve been getting a lot better at recently,” Zuko says with a little smile.

“That’s nice, and I’m really happy for you for being able to do that after all the shit you’ve been through, but…”

Zuko sighs, nodding. “I know. It’s not that easy in your case. But I doubt your mother would’ve wanted you to hate yourself or deny a part of yourself, no matter where it came from.”

“No, I guess not…” Sokka reluctantly agrees.

Zuko runs a hand through his hair, looking very out of place as a mentor of sorts. "So maybe...focus on how proud she would be that you decided to learn about this part of yourself and that you finally told your friends and your sister about it after all these years.”

He frowns. ”But isn’t accepting it like being okay with what happened to her?”

“If we go by that logic, then I’m accepting all of the awful things my family has done with firebending: Sozin’s Comet, the war…”

“Except you’ve made it pretty clear you’re not. You switched sides  and your dad nearly _killed_ you for it.”

Zuko winces. “Yeah…”

Sokka cringes. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Zuko reassures him. “Anyway, you’re not accepting what happened to your mother. You’re accepting a piece of yourself that you can’t keep denying exists. I know it must hurt to be reminded of what happened to her and to you, but try to think about how you can honor her memory by overcoming that pain and tragedy.”

“How do I do that, exactly?”

Zuko struggles to find his words. “Take that pain and make it your strength, not your weakness. It sounds like your mother was an incredibly strong and compassionate woman. Think of that and of how you both persevered despite everything when you firebend.” He eyes Sokka nervously, a vulnerability in his expression. He raises a thick, expectant brow at him and when Sokka doesn’t answer immediately, he takes it as a sign he’s said something dumb and unhelpful. “I’m sorry, these kinds of talks aren’t really my strong suit. They’re more Uncle’s kind of thing--”

“No,” Sokka finally says with a shake of his head. “No, what you said actually helped a lot. I think I need to take some time to work on that, but I think I can do it. For her.”

Zuko looks shocked. “Really?” And then he smiles, a teary glint in his eyes that Sokka will pointedly ignore because he knows the same glint is in his own eyes right now. “I’m glad I could help.”

Sokka wraps his arms around him. “Thanks, Zuko.”

The older boy awkwardly hugs him back. Group hugs must not really be a thing in the Fire Nation. Or at least not in the Fire Nation Zuko knew.

Sokka laughs at the expression on Zuko's face. “Sorry, hugging --especially group hugs-- are kind of a big thing here. You’ll have to get used to them now that you’re a part of Team Avatar.”

The entertainingly bewildered and uncomfortable look falls away. Zuko cracks a smile and shrugs. “I suppose I can get used to that.”

When they get back to the Western Air Temple, the others gather them around the fire and demand they spill every last detail about their adventure to the legendary ruins of the Sun Warriors. Aang does most of the storytelling with Sokka chiming in to add his two yuans when he deems appropriate as well as adding some comedic flair. Zuko mostly just rolls his eyes and sighs a lot. 

At last, they get to the ‘firebending display’ that the Duke, Haru, and Teo demand and Aang is all-too-eager to oblige. Aang and Zuko do the Dragon Dance, but Sokka knows he’ll just make an idiot of himself if he tries, so he opts out. He doesn’t get away that easily, though, as every one of them insists that he do  _ something _ . So he does what he can to finish up the demonstration in a rather lack-luster way given that he’s following after Aang and Zuko’s dance and everyone gives an enthusiastic round of applause.

As everyone prepares for bed, Katara pulls him aside.

She gives him a big, strong hug and smiles at him. “She’d be happy for you. And proud.”

She doesn’t need to say who. Sokka wipes away the tears streaming down his face unashamedly and grins back at her. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, let me know what you thought of this chapter! Favorite moments or lines, etc. I love reading your reviews!


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